Stock Watch for Los Angeles Kings' Top-Six Forwards

The Los Angeles Kings' stock was down early in the season, as the team got off to a slow start. With a 7-0-3 record in their last 10 games, the Kings are playing more like Stanley Cup contenders and less like a wild-card team. 

They managed to win a string of games without Jeff Carter, who is now back in the lineup after missing 10 games with a foot injury. As for the other forwards, defense continues to be the main priority, as it usually is on a Darryl Sutter-coached team.

So while the Kings' forwards may not amaze statistically, their ability to play two-way hockey is second to none. With that in mind, here is an early stock report on the Kings' top-six forwards.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com. Salary information courtesy of CapGeek.com.

Anze Kopitar

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Stock: Rising

Anze Kopitar has made fans forget about his 10-game scoreless drought to start the season, as he's notched seven goals in 15 games since.

The stock for the Kings' first-line center is therefore on the rise, as he's put himself in position to lead the team in points for a seventh consecutive season. His 23 points in 25 games have him four up on second-line center Mike Richards. 

Despite a slow start offensively, Kopitar managed to contribute in other ways, such as in the faceoff circle (54.8 percent) and the defensive zone. He averages more than 21 minutes of ice time per game and has little trouble slowing down the opposition.

The 26-year-old Slovenian is the Kings' best player on a consistent basis, leaving no question he's worth every penny of his $6.8 million cap hit.

Justin Williams

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Stock: Neutral

He may be one of the NHL's lesser known first-line players and that's not because of a lack of talent. Justin Williams is a two-time Stanley Cup winner who has a plus-78 rating in 780 career games. 

Williams has produced consistently in the last month, with 16 points in 17 games. He's unlikely to maintain a point-per-game pace—but should finish with close to 60 points—as he has in recent years. 

The 32-year-old continues to work hard on the forecheck with linemates Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown and has produced on the power play as expected. 

For a responsible, determined top-six forward who has good chemistry with a number of players, $3.65 million per year is a bargain.

Dustin Brown

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Stock: Falling Slightly

Early in the season, a hamstring injury prevented Dustin Brown from playing the style that makes him such a strong power forward. His ice time was down and he was unable to effectively crash the crease or have an impact physically. 

Now that he's healthy, Brown is racking up the hits and playing stronger along the boards; however, he hasn't produced consistently on offense, so for now his stock is down. 

Brown has consistently reached the 55-point mark throughout his career, but with nine points in 25 games this year, he's on pace for just 29, despite averaging 17:25 in ice time, the fifth largest amount of time among L.A. forwards. 

As long as Brown stays focused and plays his game, the points should come eventually.

Mike Richards

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Stock: Neutral

Mike Richards is an established leader, a player who has won at all levels and who can play in any situation. In the midst of his prime at age 28, expectations are high for the former Flyers captain.

Richards had nine points in a five-game stretch in early November, which saw his stock rise; however, it dropped back down as he's recorded just two points in the eight games since.

Overall Richards has been solid second-line center as expected. He's dominating in the faceoff circle—winning 56 percent of his draws—and has been a factor on both the power play and penalty kill. He scored the game-tying goal with fewer than five minutes remaining against the Vancouver Canucks Monday to force overtime.

If Richards continues to play well in all three zones and makes plays to set up his linemates in close, his point production will be back up and so will the value of his stock.

Jeff Carter

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Stock: Neutral

Jeff Carter was back in an L.A. uniform Monday for the first time since October 30, when he sustained a foot injury that caused him to miss 10 games. Carter registered a point in his return against Vancouver, assisting on Mike Richards' game-tying goal. 

Like Richards, expectations are high for Carter this season, and rightly so. Carter is in the prime of his career and is coming off a 26-goal campaign, which ranked fourth in the NHL in the lockout-shortened season.

Given he's coming off an injury and played fewer than 16 minutes, we won't read too much into Carter's performance against the Canucks. Once he has another game or two under his belt, he should be generating more offensive chances by getting more pucks on net and his ice time should be back up to around 20 minutes per game.

Tyler Toffoli

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Stock: Rising

Tyler Toffoli rounds out the Kings' top six, but Dwight King also deserves a mention as he's spent time on the top-two lines of late. King is tied for second on the Kings with seven goals, two of which are shorthanded markers.

While King has 10 points in 25 games, Toffoli has racked up nine in 10 games since being called up from Manchester—not to mention his three game-winning goals and plus-five rating. 

Many fans were surprised that Toffoli didn't make the Kings' roster out of training camp and this is why.

Not only is Toffoli capable of filling a spot on an NHL team, he's already beginning to earn top-six minutes. He is making an impact despite his limited experience and the fact that he's playing with a variety of linemates. 

The future is bright in Los Angeles and there is no doubt it will be Toffoli leading the way.