Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Oilers’ Home Golf Course Trolls Kings After Playoff Loss

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated 5/2/24

The Edmonton Oilers are moving on in this season’s NHL playoffs and as is often the joke when a hockey team gets eliminated, the Los Angeles Kings will hit the golf course. A tough-fought series that didn’t last nearly as long as the Kings might have liked, they’re out after five games, while the Oilers will get a chance to rest and recuperate, waiting for one of the Vancouver Canucks or Nashville Predators to emerge victorious. The Oilers will relax for a day or two. The Kings will relax for a little longer.

Poking fun at the fact the Kings are done, a local Edmonton golf course had some fun with the idea that the Kings are playing golf sooner than the Oilers. The Quarry — a nice course in the Edmonton area — posted what we can only imagine is a conjured-up graphic of their tee sheet for tomorrow (Friday, May 3rd). On it are the names Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Adrian Kempe. They added, “Look who we found on our tee-sheet.”

The assumption here is that these players are not actually playing at that time or didn’t book a tee time at all. Promoting these players were showing up, only for other fans to show up to troll the Kings players potentially would be a pretty low move. That said, it’s still hilarious, and you never know if a fan or two will show up and book a tee time in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the Kings’ stars.

The reality is, the Kings players probably took off pretty quickly after losing Game 5 in Edmonton. They’ll head back to LA, have their player exit meetings, talk with the local media and go their separate ways. Staying in Edmonton a few days longer, when the alternative is going to California seems like a stretch.

The Kings May Not Be Golfing, But Might Be Looking at Offseason Changes

Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton of ESPN took a look at the Kings’ disappointing elimination after five games, lasting less time than the two last two years they faced the Oilers in the playoffs. They both suggest the Kings might have to take a long look at their roster and see if they’ve got the right mix.

Their goalies are pending UFAs as are Viktor Arvidsson, Trevor Lewis, and Matt Roy. They’ve also linked themselves to Pierre-Luc Dubois in a huge trade this past season and he struggled, which isn’t good news considering the assets they gave up and the price they’re paying him to be a difference-maker.

Meanwhile, the Oilers are firing and have to feel pretty good about themselves. They got through a very physical series with the Kings and relatively unscathed.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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