US EditionInterim coach D.J. Smith will be candidate for LA Kings' full-time job in GM Ken Holland's search
Smith is among five to eight candidates Holland plans to interview after Los Angeles finished 29th in goals scored.
- On Friday, Los Angeles Kings general manager Ken Holland confirmed that interim head coach D.J. Smith is a candidate for the full-time role, planning to interview five to eight individuals this month.
- Smith took over March 1, rallying the Kings to an 11-6-6 finish and a wild-card berth, but the team suffered their fifth consecutive first-round playoff exit after being swept by the Colorado Avalanche.
- Addressing the team's offensive struggles, Holland noted the Kings ranked 29th in goals scored this season, creating urgency to replace retiring captain Anze Kopitar, whom Holland called a "first-ballot Hall of Famer."
- Regarding future roster strategy, Holland intends to move Quinton Byfield into a primary power-play role next year while emphasizing, "We have lots of good players; I've got to build a better team."
- The search targets candidates capable of fixing special teams units that ranked 28th and 30th in the league, with Holland seeking a mix of experienced coaches and younger candidates to guide the roster.
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Kings GM Ken Holland: D.J. Smith is a candidate for full-time coaching job
Holland, who will begin his search next week, is looking for someone who can get the team out of its good-but-not-great rut and Smith, who took over for Jim Hiller as the interim coach on March 1, is among the options.
Associated Press News
Interim coach D.J. Smith will be candidate for LA Kings' full-time job in GM Ken Holland's search
Interim head coach D.J. Smith will be among the candidates for the Los Angeles Kings’ full-time job when general manager Ken Holland conducts his coaching search this month.
Kings Notes: Smith, Fiala, Wright
Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland was relatively noncommittal when asked about the team’s head coaching position. According to Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Holland shared that D.J. Smith is already considered a candidate. Still, the Kings will also talk to other possibilities over the next few weeks. Smith was named the Kings’ interim head coach on March 1st, after the team fired Jim Hiller. Although it can’t all be attributed to t…
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