Since there isn't much else to talk about (i dare not venture into the Kane thread), i would argue that the problem really is two fold with the Kings. They do seem to lack some true snipers up front. But their lack of a modern defenseman on the backend cannot be ignored. I don't think we've had a defenseman with real vision and creativity on the backend since McBain (and no im not arguing he was a great player, simply that he had really good offensive instincts/vision in transition and the attacking zone). Doughty is/was a great player, and brings a lot to the table, but he's not an elite offensive threat and i don't think his vision with the puck is elite (my opinion). The Kings simply do not have what most top tier teams have, and that's a guy that can not only join the rush from the back end, but lead it when the opportunity arises. They don't have a modern, highly skilled, offensive defenseman, and it really hurts their transition and PP in my opinion. I know we're looking at 5v5 here, but the team needs more goals... from every part of the game.
If other teams don't respect the two guys on the blue line, they can spend more time focusing on the 3 guys down low. They can take away options and clog lanes preemptively, because there isnt anybody on the King's blueline that will make them pay for those reads. It would certainly be nice to have production from both groups, but I think finding an elite D has got to be the bigger priority for this team.
