from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,
Would a repeat by the Kings make them a dynasty?
That's up for debate. But in winning the Cup twice and reaching the West final once in the past three seasons, the Kings have won the endorsement of an authority on dynasties — Bill Torrey, architect and general manager of the New York Islanders when they won the Cup in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 and lost the Final in 1984.
"No one has given me an apt, complete description of what the word means, but they're about as much a dynasty this year as you could be," said Torrey, 80, now an alternate governor of the Florida Panthers.
"When you look at the way they went down in every series last spring and had to fight their way back, no team ever did it before, and they are due lots of recognition."
Sustaining success is difficult in any sport. It's especially tricky under the hard salary cap the NHL implements. Players want raises after they win, but the team's payroll can stretch only so far. Role players want a chance at stardom elsewhere. That creates the kind of upheaval that broke up the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks — though they retooled and won in 2013 — and often leads to years of rebuilding.
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