You may remember a few months ago, I stated (according to a Reddit board) that Los Angeles, California, was home to several of Utah’s most hated teams.
Maybe we can add the Los Angeles Kings to the list, who are one of the villains of the Pacific Division.
We’ve already looked at the Colorado Avalanche as a potential new rival, but today, we get a look at one of the potential Pacific Division rivals.
Related: What Utah Fans Can Expect From Colorado This Season
Related: The Colorado Avalanche Play Tonight. Should Utah Fans Be Already Cheering Against Them?
For years, the Kings depended on wearing down their opponents, but led by the ageless Anze Kopitar and young star Quinton Byfield, they’ve upped their scoring ability. They also still have Drew Doughty anchoring the blue line, who led them, along with Kopitar, to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.
The games will also serve as a homecoming for Trevor Lewis, another two-time Stanley Cup winner with L.A., who has wanted to see the NHL come to Salt Lake for years.
(It’s no wonder, then, we thought Lewis returning to Utah to play for the local NHL team seemed somewhat inevitable at some point.)
Related: Trevor Lewis to Utah Seems Like A Match Made in Heaven
So, the real question is if Utah is ready for such a daunting physical task.
This year, with the additions they have, the club is certainly up for it.
Utah has much more heft on the bottom six, with Alex Kerfoot leading the way on the secondary scoring, and Michael Carcone, Liam O’Brien, and Kevin Stenlund preparing to potentially form a tone-setting fourth line.
Clayton Keller is still there, but speed on the wings with the return of a healthy Barrett Hayton should aid in dealing with the size of the Kings.
Oh, and Ian Cole, John Marino, and Mikhail Sergachev join former L.A. defenceman Sean Durzi on the blue line.
All this should make for some interesting games between L.A. and Utah.