Stanley Cup Finals 2012: Breaking Down Kings' Chances at Repeating in 2013

The Los Angeles Kings roared through the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals and won their first Cup, beating the New Jersey Devils last night.

The Kings were remarkable in the playoffs, going 16-4. They beat the top three seeds in the Western Conference Finals. They were utterly dominant.

The Kings won in 2012, but what about their chances in 2013? Can the Kings repeat? Let's break down their chances.

Jonathan Quick:

If the Kings are going to repeat, then Jonathan Quick will have to be outstanding again. The Conn Smythe trophy-winner was outstanding in the playoffs, posting a 1.41 goals against average and a .946 save percentage. That was on top of a great regular season, where Quick put up a 1.95 GAA and a .929 save percentage. He was nominated for a Vezina Trophy as league's best goalie.

At 26, Quick is entering the prime of his career. There's no reason that he can't repeat his performance from 2012, or even eclipse it.  For the Kings to repeat, he will need to. 

Like most teams, the goalie is the most important part. The Kings would not have won the Cup without Quick. 2013 will be no different.

Assuming Quick stays healthy, then he will be a key to a repeat.

Full season of Jeff Carter:

The Kings acquired Jeff Carter at the trading deadline, and it turned out to be a great pickup. In the playoffs, Carter was tremendous, scoring eight goals, including two in the Cup clincher. He added five assists and was dominant on the ice.

A full season of Carter will do wonders for the Kings. Remember, the Kings struggled during much of the regular season. Adding an offensive threat like Carter for 82 games will help dramatically.

The trade to Los Angeles was just the change of scenery Carter needed, as he struggled in Columbus. Reunited with former teammate Mike Richards, Carter looked like a star player.

If he keeps that up for a full season, then the Kings will be even more dangerous.

Most of roster is intact:

The Kings will not experience very much turnover this offseason. There are only five potential free agents—Dwight King, Dustin Penner, Jarret Stoll, Scott Parse and Colin Fraser.

Penner and Stoll will be the top candidates to leave. Penner had a good postseason and could turn that into a nice payday. The same can be said of Stoll. The Kings, though, will make efforts to bring them back. 

King, a restricted free agent, is likely to be re-signed. Fraser is also a good bet to re-join the team. Parse missed most of the season with a hip injury, so his status is in question.

But the core of the team is in place, and players like Penner and Stoll can be replaced. The Kings will bring back their entire defensive unit. Their star players—Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown and Carter—are all under contract for at least the next few years.  

The Kings could still look to bring in a free agent to bolster their roster. Even if they don't, replacing from within is a viable option. The nucleus of the team is still there, and they will only benefit from the experience. 

Darryl Sutter:

The Kings fired coach Terry Murray on December 12, 2011. At the time, the Kings were 13-12-4 and fourth in the Pacific Division.

On December 17th, the Kings replaced Murray with Darryl Sutter. The rest is history.

Sutter led the Kings to a 25-13-11 record in 49 games before leading them to a 16-4 record in the playoffs and winning the Cup. It was a remarkable coaching performance. 

Having Sutter as coach for a full season will be great for the Kings. It's clear they respond to him. With Sutter behind the bench for 82 games, there's no telling how good they can be. 

Tough to repeat:

The Kings do have one thing going against them; it's really tough to repeat. The last repeat winners were the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

Going through a grueling playoffs twice, staying healthy, as well as increasing parity makes it very difficult. The Kings will also be hard-pressed to be as dominant as they were this year.

16-4:

16-4 was the Kings record in the postseason. With a remarkable run under their belts, the Kings will enter 2012-2013 dripping in confidence. They know how to play dominant hockey. While they won't go 82-0, they should be at the top of their conference.

This experience will help them to not struggle through the regular season. Home-ice advantage throughout next year's playoffs isn't out the question. Imagine what the Kings would do with that kind of leg up.

The Kings showed that they were the best team in hockey this year. If they can play like that all year, there is no reason they can't repeat.