Why do people keep saying that without Smyth and Scuderi the Kings are the same team as last year? (And why did I buy it, until I looked?)

Okay, so off the top of your head, about how many Kings are absent since this time last year? My guess is 5.

The real answer:

1. Calder
2. Armstrong
3. Zeiler
4. Moulson
5. Boyle
6. O'Sullivan
7. Moller
8. Quincey
9. Preissing
10. Gauthier
11. LaBarbera

And those eleven guys were replaced by these nine:

1. Williams
2. Smyth
3. Purcell
4. Parse
5. Segal
6. Scuderi
7. Drewiske
8. Jones
9. Quick

These are the mainstays:

1. Kopitar
2. Brown
3. Stoll
4. Frolov
5. Handzus
6. Simmonds
7. Richardson
8. Ivanans
9. Harrold
10. Doughty
11. Johnson
12. SOD
13. Greene

Thirteen guys from last year, nine new guys, eleven old guys gone. Roster of 22 this year instead of 23. Sounds like a turn-over of about 44% to me.

Not the same team. Even with Smyth and Scuderi out, you're looking at seven new guys replacing eleven departed or demoted.