Kings rent Peter Laviolette: Veteran coach ought to present fast repair, however questions on longevity stay

The Los Angeles Kings have employed Peter Laviolette to be their subsequent coach, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Laviolette replaces interim coach D.J. Smith, who took over for Jim Hiller after he was fired in March.

Laviolette started his teaching profession with the New York Islanders in 2001-02, and he brings 23 seasons of expertise to the Kings’ bench. He ranks seventh in NHL historical past with 846 wins. Twenty years in the past, in 2006, Laviolette led the Carolina Hurricanes to the primary Stanley Cup in franchise historical past.

Since his tenure with Carolina resulted in 2008, Laviolette has come inside two wins of a second Stanley Cup twice. In 2010, Laviolette took the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Last earlier than shedding to the Chicago Blackhawks in six video games. He additionally coached the Nashville Predators to their first Stanley Cup Last look in 2017 earlier than falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins — once more in six video games.

After the Predators fired Laviolette in 2020, he spent three years with the Washington Capitals from 2020-23, and he coached the New York Rangers for 2 years from 2023-25.

In his twenty years behind the bench, Laviolette has compiled an 846-562-25-161 file, and he has a profession playoff file of 88-82. He’ll now look to assist a franchise that has suffered first-round playoff exits in 5 straight seasons.

Regardless of an extended observe file of success relationship again greater than twenty years, there are questions on Laviolette’s capability to maintain it, although he ought to present a welcome change for the Kings.

Quick shelf life

Each coach in each sport has a shelf life, however Laviolette’s groups at all times appear to peak after two or three seasons earlier than dropping off a cliff. That goes again to his time in Carolina, when Laviolette received the Stanley Cup in his second season. The Hurricanes did not make the playoffs once more, and Laviolette was fired lower than three years after a championship.

Laviolette supplied an instantaneous enhance for the Flyers, who received the Japanese Convention of their first season with him behind the bench. Philadelphia superior to the second spherical of the playoffs in every of the subsequent two seasons, and he was fired simply three video games into the 2013-14 marketing campaign.

Laviolette’s longest stretch of success got here in Nashville, the place he steadily led the workforce to enchancment in every of the primary two seasons earlier than breaking by means of for a Western Convention title in 2016-17. The next season, the Predators received the Presidents’ Trophy, however that is the place the success ended. Nashville was eradicated within the first spherical of the playoffs in 2019, and Laviolette was fired halfway by means of the subsequent season.

Essentially the most troubling components of Laviolette’s resume are additionally the newest. His tenure with the Capitals was quite unsuccessful, with a pair of transient first-round playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022, adopted by a sub-.500 file in 2022-23.

In his debut season with the Rangers, Laviolette coached them to the Japanese Convention Last, and the workforce entered the 2024-25 season with Stanley Cup expectations. As an alternative, New York went 39-36-7 and missed the playoffs earlier than firing Laviolette.

For no matter purpose, Laviolette tends to ship instantaneous success earlier than carrying out his welcome. Whether or not his message wears on the gamers or he leans too closely on veterans as a substitute of creating younger gamers, he hardly ever has success past his third season with a workforce.

Extra broadly, there are questions on whether or not Laviolette’s teaching fashion nonetheless works within the trendy NHL. For the reason that Predators received the Presidents’ Trophy in 2017-18, his success has been restricted. In his seven seasons since then, Laviolette’s groups have missed the playoffs extra occasions (twice) than they’ve superior previous the primary spherical (as soon as).

Offensive spark for the Kings

For years, the Kings have been probably the greatest defensive groups within the NHL. For the reason that begin of the 2008-09 season, Los Angeles has completed within the prime 10 in targets in opposition to 12 occasions. It solely completed exterior the highest half of the NHL in that class twice — in 2018-19 and 2020-21.

That protection powered the Kings to Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. Since then, nevertheless, an emphasis on protection has capped offensive manufacturing. Los Angeles has frequently completed beneath common — and sometimes close to the NHL’s basement — with regards to scoring. It is a difficulty that has spanned a number of teaching staffs, but it surely ought to change below Laviolette’s management.

Laviolette’s groups have usually been effectively above common at placing the puck within the web. He has overseen a prime 10 offense 11 totally different occasions all through the course of his profession, and that needs to be music to the ears of Kings followers for a few causes.

To begin with, the Kings’ unwavering emphasis on protection has gotten them seven consecutive first-round playoff exits. Secondly, Los Angeles has the personnel to open up its recreation a bit extra. This previous season, the Kings acquired dynamic winger Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers, and Kevin Fiala has been a incredible playmaker for some time now.

The important thing for Laviolette might be unlocking the offensive potential of Quinton Byfield, whose mixture of velocity and measurement is uncommon. He simply hasn’t been in a position to translate that capability into high-end manufacturing but. The identical goes for expert defenseman Brandt Clarke, who continues to be simply hitting his stride at 23 years previous.