So the Los Angeles Kings start another season in the not so frozen City of Angels, and with the start of this new campaign comes renewed hope for some playoff success. The Kings have a new building, a new coach, and a new star player for fans to delight in. But the 1999-2000 schedule also has someone very familiar under the spotlight with all of the new stuff, and that someone is General Manager Dave Taylor. Perhaps the most popular King ever, Taylor will likely have his crown ripped from his head if the Kings fall flat again this season.

The 1999-2000 Los Angeles Kings are more a Dave Taylor creation than any team before. It's Taylor's coach, and his team as well. The Kings' marquee players include Luc Robitaille, Ziggy Palffy, Jozef Stumpel, and Rob Blake. Three of the four are in the uniform of the Kings because of Taylor trades, and one remains in a King uniform because of Taylor's resistance to trading him at the peak of his value. Taylor's stamp on the team doesn't stop with the big stars. Other players expected to play significant roles in the upcoming season include Donald Audette, Bryan Smolinski, Glen Murray, Mattias Norstrom, and Aki Berg.

Audette and Smolinski came to the Kings via Taylor trades, with Smolinski being part of a rather significant trade for a Kings' first round (#3 overall) pick, Olli Jokinen. Aki Berg is back in Los Angeles after finally reaching a contract agreement following an ugly period of stalled contract negotiations with Taylor that resulted in Berg playing in his native Finland last season. This season may perhaps see a similar situation with the ever important Norstrom, who continues to stay away from camp as contract negotiation grind on. The end result is Taylor will bear an equal measure of responsibility for whose is NOT on the ice, as well as who IS on the ice.

Perhaps the most significant move, and perhaps one of the least discussed considering its' significance, is the hiring of a new Kings' head coach, replacing the fired Larry Robinson. That Taylor had to bring in a coach was a no-brainer. Robinson was unable to build on the Kings' 5th place Western Conference finish in 1997-1998, and in 1998-1999 saw his players quit on him as the Kings hit rock bottom. Interestingly, there was a point during the course of this miserable season when Taylor had attempted to sign Robinson to a three-year extension on his contract. Just as interesting is Robinson's indecision at the time, and his later publicly stated desire to stay on as coach after the losing season concluded.

Enter Andy Murray. In Murray, Taylor has a coach with a reputation for discipline in the locker room. Already Murray has taken veteran players to task for perceived lack of effort in the opening days of training camp. It has been reported that Murray takes his message with him into the locker room, including signs with what are hoped to serve as reminders of what he expects from the team. What Murray appears to be attempting to do is instill an atmosphere lacking during the tenure of Larry Robinson, and that is a commitment to excelling as a team all of the time, whether it be in practice, intermission, or during the game.

What Murray doesn't bring to the table is head coaching experience at a high level, nor any meaningful experience as a player. In an era when star players often have more control over their careers than do coaches and general managers, Murray could have a real problem on his hands should the veteran players grow weary of his approach. A disciplinarian needs help, and if the Kings lack anything in abundance, it is a strong leader among the players themselves. Murray will have to sell his approach to the team's veteran stars, then push those players to sell his style and system to the rest of the team. To help bridge what could easily be a large credibility gap in the making, the Kings brought in two former NHL'ers, including former King Mark Hardy.

Whether the addition of NHL veterans to the coaching staff heads off such a problem depends in no small part on the problem manifesting itself in the first place, but it is a concern. For some reason, Taylor has not had much to say about the hiring of Murray as coach. What the thought process was when candidates were being interviewed is difficult to determine. To be certain, fans of the Kings would not be out of line in asking if the hiring of Murray was a risk worth taking, regardless the outcome of the season.