Los Angeles Kings Need to Restock at Center

The Kings have been stocked at the center position for a long time.  But are they in decline?  Nobody will disagree with the fact that Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter are the best top two line center combination in the league.

But we used to be able to say the same thing about the rest of the lines as well.  Not any more.

What’s next for the Kings at the center position?

The Hockey Writers shared this:

There still may not be a one-two punch as formidable at the center position as Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter. While Kopitar had a bit of a down year in terms of offense, he was still recognized for his outstanding overall play.

A truly disciplined player, Kopitar was nominated for the Lady Byng this season along with other nominees Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Jiri Hudler of the Calgary Flames. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association submit ballots at the end of the season of players who they think most exhibit sportsmanship. Gentlemanly conduct (whatever that means) is another trait required for a player to be considered for the trophy.

Jeff Carter was one of the few things that went right for the Kings in the 2014-2015 season. Centering between Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson or Toffoli and Dwight King, he matured as number one center on a team with two number one centers.

Second to only Kopitar in overall point production, Carter led the Kings in goals with twenty-eight on the season and sixty-two points. He achieved superstar status helping the Canadian National Team win an Olympic gold medal in Sochi in 2014 and this season only helped maintain his position on the Kings.

Both Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll had forgettable seasons. Mike Richards was close to being scratched, sent down to the AHL, cleared waivers, and was a scratch when the salary cap and roster capacity was no longer a factor. When recalled, a lot of Kings fans were hoping to see a revised Mike Richards. That did not happen and his role reduced to the point of nonexistence. Richards has been a headline darling because of these things, but, it puts the Kings in a bind contractually moving forward.

I can’t wait to see how it develops.  The Kings are used to have 4 dominant centers.  Maybe that is how they get back to the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of Eric Garcetti.