It’s hard to Kopitar when you keep Stoll’in…
There are a few forwards for the Kings that everyone has heard of, and the popular consensus is that these will be the guys that help them compete down the road.
The big two would be Patrick O’Sullivan and Anze Kopitar. O’Sullivan—the former Wild draft pick—is a flashy player, who can see the ice, and spot the open man with ease.
In just his first full NHL season, O’Sullivan scored 22 goals, and tallied 53 points—a big part of the Kings’ fourth-most (in the West) 231 goals last season. O’Sullivan should only get better this year, as the talent up front matures, and he starts to come into his own in the NHL.
Kopitar meanwhile, was even better last season. In his second season in the NHL, Kopitar went from 20 goals to 32 goals, and was three points away from being an 80-point player. He’s got the size, the skill, the shot, and the on-ice awareness to be everything any team would want in the NHL, and could break through with 35 this year if everything falls into the right place.
If Alexander Frolov could remain consistent, then either of O'Sullivan or Kopitar(Unless they get paired together, in which case they'd both have)would have a dynamo of a linemate. One year Frolov scores 30 goals, the next he’s back down to 20.
If something can be taken out of Frolov’s performance last season, it is that he struggled through a groin injury, and was still able to put up 67 points, as well as setting a career-high with 44 assists. So if Frolov stays healthy and motivated, he could regain 30 goal form, and possibly tackle the 80-point mark.
The last diamond up front would be Dustin Brown—the elite power forward in the making. Brown set a career-high with 33 goals last season, and 60 points. Brown is becoming more polished every time he steps on the ice, and he could be a threat for 40 goals sometime soon—perhaps this year if it all comes together for these four up front—and he’s only 23. Scary.
Think about those four for a minute. Think about, how in 2009,2010, and 2011 they'll just dominate. About how there'll be depth to take them to the moon, and the offensive production from them is insane.
Now come back to 2008, and aside from those four, there isn’t much else for the Kings. Michael Handzus suffered through a sub-par year last season, barely surpassing 20 points, while posting a career-worst -21.
If quality players can surround Handzus, then he usually puts up some respectable numbers, but the Kings don’t have the depth to help him out, while the same can be said for Derek Armstrong.
If Jarret Stoll can regain his 60-70 point form, then the Kings have a little more scoring depth. The past two years though, Stoll hasn’t looked the same (whether it was that late-season concussion two seasons ago or not), and he’ll have to prove he can be more than a 35-point player if he wants to make an impact in L.A. (Although the Kings just signed him to a four-year deal, so maybe his troubles are behind him).
On the bright side, Stoll can be closer to super-Cougar Rachel Hunter.
Teddy Purcell may be eyeing some steady NHL minutes this season after a ten-game stint last season, and although he was fairly successful (1 goal, 2assists), the beginners luck he’s shown at other levels (83 points in 67 games in his first AHL season), may not flourish right away. If Teddy can score, he’ll be a useful commodity to the Kings, but if not, his growth won’t help the Kings this season.
Kyle Calder will provide a veteran presence and a bit of grit to the Kings, but aside from that, the roster is filled out with younger, third, or fourth line players, while the Kings wait for their other youngsters (such as Brian Boyle and Brady Murray) to come into their own.
Unfortunately, even though there are some key offensive pieces already in place, the Kings are going to need a few more to develop, and a much more seasoned defense to compete in the Pacific division.
So what's it all mean?
The Kings have four offensive talents that would make you crawl over your own grandmother, and then send your dog to live with Michael Vick to get your hands on.
Ok, I lied. And I crossed a line. I wouldn't send my dog to live with Michael Vick. I wouldn't even send my roommate's dog to live with Michael Vick. I like dogs. Don't send them to live with him.
But Brown, Kopitar, Frolov, and O'Sullivan are all ridiculously talented, and will be the backbone of this Kings team for years. The problem this year is depth; they don't have the depth up front to compete, while on defense and in net, they just aren't mature enough.
In other words, it may be another year spent in the Western Conference's basement.
On the other hand, if they get Tavares, I'm quitting the NHL. How do you spell Penguins/Caps vs. Kings in the final every season if that happens?
5th in the Pacific
Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and an NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. If you'd like to get in contact with Bryan, you can do so through his profile, and you can also read all of his previous work in his archives.
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