Follow me on Twitter: @BenShelley_20 Follow HockeyBuzz Kings on Twitter: @HB_LAKings
This article will be another in my series of player profiles, where I review the season of every player on the Los Angeles Kings. This piece will focus on Anze Kopitar.
I already did an article on Kopitar maybe a month ago which looked at what we can expect from him going forward, so I’ll try my best to keep this one different. Kopitar was once again the star for the Kings, scoring 21 goals and 62 points in 70 games, a pace of 25 goals and 73 points per 82 games.
He also did this while playing tough minutes, facing a higher quality of competition than anyone on the team, other than Alex Iafallo (according to Hockey Abstract). He also had a lower offensive zone start percentage than any forwards on the team, except for Mike Amadio and Dustin Brown. He played a huge role for the Kings once again, finishing seventh in the league in total ice time amongst forwards and also led Los Angeles in time on ice at even strength, on the power play and on the penalty kill. He was also excellent at the faceoff dot once again, winning over 55 per cent of draws and finishing fourth in the league for most faceoffs won this season.
That said, Kopitar will remain the team’s top forward heading into next season, centering the top line. He’ll play a big role with the team even as prospects start to jump to the NHL over the next few years and will help to shelter them from tougher minutes. Kopitar will be one of the few veterans to make it through the rebuild and help the Kings to regain their status as a contender.
***NOTE: We've launched a HockeyBuzz Kings Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_LAKings for updates on articles, Kings news, etc. We're starting right from scratch, so any followers would be appreciated!***
Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Reviewing the season: Adrian Kempe Reviewing last week's polls (June 23): Kings Edition Reviewing the season: Alex Iafallo Reviewing the season: Ben Hutton Reviewing the season: Martin Frk Reviewing this week's polls (June 14): Kings Edition Reviewing the season: Drew Doughty Reviewing the season: Jeff Carter Reviewing the season: Dustin Brown Reviewing the season: Mike Amadio Reviewing this week's polls (June 4): Kings Edition SHORT READ: Kings sign Kaliyev and Spence to entry-level contracts What can the Kings expect from Anze Kopitar in the coming years?