from Mark Whicker of the LA Daily News,

The Kings are in a blissful place. They live in a no-news zone.

They’re quiet, like a hamlet in Nebraska, where the front page reports on births, deaths, lost dogs and the guest speaker at the Rotary Club.

The players are the same. The coaches are the same. There are no burning contract issues, especially since the Kings signed 25-year-old defenseman Jake Muzzin to a five-year deal Wednesday, worth $20 million.

There are no imminent trades, no lingering doubts, no unresolved issues, thanks to two Stanley Cups in three years and some nimble salary-cap management.

There is only the yawning canyon of 82 games. Whether you ride a mule or hire a guide, it’s a mandatory hike....

The trick is to remain sufficiently engaged, in the combative West, to make the playoffs. And then to arrive healthy and fresh. But that’s not easy. Fifteen Kings are still here from 2012. How do you convince your kid that algebra matters when, in real life, it doesn’t?

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