Considering it's only early August, it's perhaps far too early to be thinking about hockey. The 2013-2014 season doesn't start for a few months, afterall. Truth be told, I'm not sure I ever stop thinking about hockey fully. It's mostly due to the intense fantasy hockey league that I run that keeps me addicted in the off-season when games are not even being played. Those who follow hockey know that some of the most exciting times come in the off-season when teams are making their trades, signings, and other adjustments to prepare for another 82 game season. As a fantasy hockey nut, I'm guess I'm just trying to do the same for my fantasy team, though with far less on the line as teams in the NHL.With happy news from a couple of days ago that Kyle Clifford had been signed, the Los Angeles Kings have completed their checklist of summer RFA - restricted free agent - signings. Their list was a fairly large one this off-season, but somehow GM Dean Lombardi managed to pull it off. The only possible problem is that the team now has a roster of 25 players, 2 players over the max, and they are also over the cap. They have to fix these issues before the season begins in October. I chose to not look at this as a problem however, and more as an opportunity for all these players to compete with one another with the best player(s) getting a roster spot. Competition is good for these guys, I think, and training camp should be exciting this year for this squad, and for the fans. Combine this competitive start for the team, with - as discussed in the following video - the Kings will to win, and we fans might be in for another special year in 2014.
