Could the Kings Make the Playoffs?

Drew Doughty makes the case to Greg Wyshynski.

It would certainly be exciting. Leaving aside the whole question of actually making the playoffs, I imagine I'd be thrilled if the Thrashers were anywhere near the level of the current Los Angeles Kings or, say, last season's Chicago Blackhawks. If you really want to know what your Chronicle editor thinks about the universe, you can chew on this: the 08-09 Kings are the 07-08 Blackhawks of 08-09. Which means in 09-10 they'll be the Blackhawks of 08-09. Got that?

Both teams are loaded with excellent young talent, and it looks like the Kings are pretty much guaranteed to do what the Blackhawks did last year: not only pull themselves out of the league's basement after years dining on furnace coal with the rats and the basement ghosts, but actually become a playoff-contending team.

The Blackhawks didn't make the playoffs last year, but--as Patrick Kane will step out of a photograph and remind you--they came awfully close. Expect the Kings to come just as close this year.

Do you have any idea how happy I'd be if the Thrashers finished in 9th place?

Well, they actually did one year. 90 points, I believe. But one of our talented dudes (the one who's now raking up all those points on the best team in the conference) left because we were spending too much money on Bobby Holik. This is a wacky-neighbour-on-a-sitcom-like mistake that could have been corrected last season, when our GM had the actual, real-life, three-dimensional opportunity to trade Marian Hossa for Phil Kessel (the one who's now, etc...) and that same Bobby Holik for John Madden (one of the best defensive forwards in the league, and, if I'm not mistaken, cheaper than Holik). Didn't happen.

Ah well. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the Kings. I'm not sure they'll make the playoffs this year, but next year=Blackhawks.

You don't believe me? YOU CALLIN' ME A LIAR?