Kings Pacific Showdown Series: Centers

During the Dean Lombardi era, the Kings had two familiar opponents that had strong showings during their championship runs: the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, the ladder of which dominated the division after the fall of the Vancouver Canucks. Today, the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights have taken over as the primary obstacles for the Kings in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

The Kings are strong at the center position, led by future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar, who is having an impressive 19th season. The 37-year-old has been producing remarkably this year, recording 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 37 games. He boasts a stellar +17 rating and has taken only a single penalty this season. While his shooting percentage of 25% isn’t sustainable, his faceoff percentage remains strong, at over 55%. Kopitar is a strong candidate for the Lady Byng Trophy and should be in the running for a third Selke Trophy, especially following Patrice Bergeron’s retirement.

The depth behind Kopitar will be crucial for the Kings’ success in the postseason. Phillip Danault, now in his fourth season with the Kings, has been valuable defensively, but he is on track for his lowest point total as a King. This decline is mainly due to a significant drop in power-play production. However, the expected production reeling from Danault is somewhat expected as the Kings have finally found an in-house method of enhancing their future center lineup with Quinton Byfield’s development. Recently, they failed to do so by sacrificing assets by acquiring Pierre Luc-Dubois. Danault is finally being utilized as the shutdown center he was brought here to be, allowing Byfield to emerge as one of their reliable centers.

Byfield has made significant strides toward becoming the player the Kings envision for their future. He has formed a firm line with Warren Foegele and Tanner Jeannot, effectively generating offense even when not paired with high-end shooters. This line has proven…