Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Kings haven’t made too many additions of consequence this offseason, but they haven’t had to. Already boasting one of the more impressive rosters overall anywhere in the league, the Kings have stuck to retaining players and making smaller additions, such as Daniel Carcillo.
The Kings acquired Carcillo from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a draft pick. He started off the season on the top line for the Blackhawks, for whatever reason, before an injury saw Brandon Saad grab hold of that spot and not let go, and Carcillo was relegated to the press box.
Carcillo appeared in only 23 games for the Hawks, partially due to the knee injury and partially due to simply being an ineffective player. He tallied three points on the season, including two goals, one of which was a tiebreaker in the last minute against Colorado to run the Blackhawks’ early season point streak to 24 games.
The Hawks didn’t really have a purpose for Carcillo anymore, leaving him traded to LA, where he rejoins the likes of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, having played with the two during their days in Philadelphia. Will Carcillo add much of anything to the mix for Los Angeles, though?
At this point, it’s pretty clear that Carcillo’s value is more in his character off the ice, than what he brings on the ice. He was an excellent teammate in Chicago. He’s not much more than an agitator, which is no secret, but he is capable of logging some minutes next to highly skilled linemates.
He won’t likely see much time above the fourth line, but will chip in on the offensive end now and then. Of course, that doesn’t excuse the boneheaded penalties he’ll take throughout the year. Playing with a more physical team, that has more of a use for Carcillo’s game, though, should prove beneficial for him.
