A season like this is tough to watch, and we all find ourselves being pretty hard on the Los Angeles Kings as they struggle to right the ship. For the rest of November, we’ll be taking some time each day to share why we’re thankful for each player on the team (and some Kings of years past). If you’d like to share your love for a Kings player, past or present, check out our call for submissions.
Today, we’re sharing some gratitude for three new faces on the Kings…
Matt Luff
The second-year pro flew so far under Kings’ fans radars that he didn’t even make our cut for the Top 25 Under 25 players in the Kings’ system. His first year in Ontario was so-so, although he was second in rookie scoring for the team. And Luff’s handful of games earlier in November weren’t spectacular, either. Coach Willie Desjardins wanted to see more out of him, and ever since returning to the Kings after another brief stint in Ontario, Luff’s been tearing it up.
Matt Luff became the fifth different @LAKings rookie to post a goal streak of four or more games (7 such instances). #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/Kez03o1BxQ
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 26, 2018
So we’re thankful for Matt Luff for being one of the most fun players to watch on ice. It’s great to see the kids picking up the reins to provide scoring for this team, and Luff is leading the way.
Austin Wagner
Wagner surprisingly made the Kings right out of camp this year; injuries opened the door and his tantalizing speed held it open even further for him. While Wagner’s still working to find his shot at the NHL level, he has indeed created havoc on the ice with his speed and is pretty much a given to negate any icing call when he’s out there.
So thank you, Austin, for making things interesting on the ice! We’re looking forward to seeing you grow as a player and a professional.
Carl Hagelin
Hagelin, like befalls most Kings acquisitions, joined the team and immediately got injured, so we haven’t been able to see much of him yet. But he’s collected two points so far and has already shown himself to be a valuable asset defensively, both on the penalty kill and while in the defensive zone.
Carl Hagelin is set to make his LA Kings debut tonight.
👀 https://t.co/zrKjGPyZT5 pic.twitter.com/TWJGOZqmsz
— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 16, 2018
While we’re wishing Carl Hagelin a speedy recovery, we’re also thankful that he joined the team and immediately started showing fans that he’s a hard worker on the ice. Hope to have him back soon!
Previously in our “Month” of Gratitude series: Kyle Clifford | Nate Thompson | Mike Amadio | Paul LaDue | Jake Muzzin | Alec Martinez | Peter Budaj | Cal Petersen | Ilya Kovalchuk | Trevor Lewis | Dustin Brown | Derek Forbort | Dion Phaneuf | Oscar Fantenberg | Adrian Kempe | Alex Iafallo