LAK HALFWAY HOME: B WARE, MID-TERM GRADES ARE IN

LOS ANGELES, CA — We’re halfway home in the Los Angeles Kings 2022-23 season and despite playing at the same level from a points standings perspective, their journey to the 41-game mark was very different than last season.

With a 22-13-6 record, Los Angeles is in the thick of things for the Pacific Division title – but in a fashion very different than what is accustomed in these parts. With offensive scoring depth, risky decision making on the defensive side of the puck and getting saves from a goaltender who was an afterthought in October, they had a strong December that puts them in playoff mode for the back end of the schedule.

With the middle of the semester here, it’s time to grade out the organization’s performance – mostly high marks and only one failing grade.

FRONT OFFICE

General Manager Rob Blake – B. The irony of his body of work is that despite all the kudos for the prospect pool he’s gathered, his best work has come via trades (Trevor Moore, Sean Durzi, Viktor Arvidsson, Kevin Fiala, Carl Grundstrom) and free agency (Phillip Danault, Pheonix Copley). The team has not regressed from last season but his gamble to not acquire a top four left defenseman in the off-season has yet to pay off.

COACHING

Head Coach Todd McLellan and staff – B. Playing at the same pace they did last season, the Toddfather’s fourth season in Los Angeles hasn’t followed the same script. The newly found offense from both multiple lines and the powerplay has been essential to the success but the lack of consistency and poor penalty killing has to be rectified to stay in a playoff spot.

THE PLAYERS

Anze Kopitar – A-. At 35, he still leads the team in time-on-ice for forwards and he is on pace for a career best in faceoff win percentage. Relying on savvy more than speed in his 17th (!) season, he is still an essential performer.

Adrian Kempe – B+. Kempe is a shade behind his career-high 35-goal pace of his breakout season but in his seventh NHL season, the expectation has him at the 25-30 goal level going forward. Hasn’t been a big goal scorer with the extra man (four) but now a threat defenses have to account for every night. He’ll wind up as the team’s leading goal scorer at Game 82.

Viktor Arvidsson – B+. If Kempe is the Swedish Shooter on the top-six, Arvidsson is Swedish Setup Man. His career high season of 34 goals is a thing of the past but getting 20 goals and excellent playmaking ability from him makes you wonder what the outcome of last season’s playoff round against Edmonton would have been if he were healthy.

Kevin Fiala – A-. The team MVP in the first half and the player who has changed the offensive dynamic of this franchise, he’ll likely end Kopitar’s long run of team leading scorer with brilliant play at times but his propensity for bad decision making, and unnecessary penalties is an area he needs to improve.

Phil Danault – A-. Not the defensive force he was last season, but Danault’s goal scoring ability unearthed last season continues, fashioned with accuracy (14.8% shooting percentage). He’s on pace for a career-high in points and the 1-2 punch he and Kopitar provide isn’t at the level of Connor-Leon but gives them an advantage in the pivot many nights.

Trevor Moore – B. Recently sidelined with an undisclosed injury, Moore earned a deserved extension to become part of the core going forward with his strong two-way play since returning home. He’ll need a strong second half to match his career year numbers from last season but has proven he’s the type of middle six forward winning teams need.

Alex Iafallo – B+. You don’t miss an underappreciated player until he’s gone. Iafallo missed 23 games with a lower-body injury and his play during the team’s strong December shows why he’s one of the coach’s favorites. He’d be on pace for a career high if not for missing almost two months and his 200-foot game has been strong. He probably won’t be fully appreciated for what he brings to the ice, but his low-key personality doesn’t mind being out of the spotlight.

Blake Lizotte – B+. He’s on his way to career high in points whether it’s from the 3C or 4C. He’s overcome his lack of size with max energy efforts, an edge to his game and continuing to be a productive player (on pace for 14 goals). His play has been a key as the continues to wait for Quinton Byfield to emerge as a force in the middle.

Gabriel Vilardi – A-. The team’s leading goal scorer with 16 goals, he’s come through in a season that started with significant doubts about his ability to live up to the hype to become an impact player. A dangerous shooter who will throw an occasional perfect pass to his teammates, he’s arrived by being placed at his proper spot – on the wing. Mindful of the 19.5% shooting percentage that puts him atop of LAK’s goal scoring list, it’s less of a concern for a player with a lifetime 16.4% through three-plus seasons.

Arthur Kaliyev – C. Like Moore, he’s presently sidelined with a lower-body injury and when sidelined he was in the midst of an eight-game goalless streak. He’s at a 20-goal pace over an 82-game season, solid numbers for a player in his second season. The question remains as to if he can move up the lineup as a one-dimensional player, albeit that dimension (his shot) is NHL top six.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan – C+. He’s factored into the mix as the team tries to solidify its bottom six in the second half. He’ll never match his goal scoring production of his junior seasons but his energy and ability to play the wing and win the occasional faceoff has provided value on the fourth line. His spot in the lineup may be at risk once the other healthy forwards return.

Carl Grundstrom – C. The physicality he brings is more valuable to a Los Angeles roster that lacks size and has the ability score the odd goal. His decision-making including penalty taking has been poor over the past month and as a result, he hasn’t played more than 10 minutes a night since early December.

Rasmus Kupari – C. Number 89 scored a goal in his 89th game against Dallas in Tuesday’s win. Maybe he’s the second coming of Adrian Kempe – a late first round late bloomer with size and speed that emerged once moved to wing, maybe he’s destined to be an NHL fourth liner with his lack of offensive instincts but it’s hard to see a future top six role given Tuesday’s goal was the ninth of his career.

Brendan Lemieux – C-. There was a time when Lemieux was an effective bottom six winger, but he’s not been the same since the injury bug started to bite last season. He’s being spotted for Grundstrom against select opponents but purely as a fourth line middleweight presence.

Quinton Byfield – Incomplete. 14 games aren’t enough to grade him but he’s in the mix due to injuries to Moore and Kaliyev. Eyebrows were raised with the move up to the Kopitar line post-holiday and he hasn’t looked out of place at left wing with his best game coming in the Dallas win. The play of Kopitar-Danault-Lizotte in the middle gives Los Angeles the luxury of time for his emergence but the ever-widening gap between Byfield and Tim Stutzle (35 points in 34 games) makes you wonder what could have been.

Drew Doughty – B. The return to heavy minutes (over 26 per game, third in the league) has been handled well and the pairing with Mikey Anderson has been solid (best expected goals and Corsi percentages). But the days of Norris Trophy level play are gone due in part to his production (never the strongest part of his game but necessary to win the award now) but still an essential core player.

Mikey Anderson – A. From a contractual perspective, few players give better value than Anderson. He’s played a very effective 21 minutes a night and added some physicality to his game this season. Like Doughty, Anderson hasn’t been a beneficiary of the Kings’ newly found offensive prowess but his team-leading +11 rating in the season’s second half only stands to improve.

Sean Durzi – C+. Still trying to adapt to playing the left side when pressed into moving after Sean Walker’s slow start, his December was a rough one (-5, no goals after potting 4 in his first 21.) He’s the best powerplay quarterback on the team but the other 15 minutes a night are an adventure with a reminder that he’s just played his 100th NHL game.

Matt Roy – C. Was supposed to be the stabilizing presence on the second pair but the defensive chemistry with his primary partner Durzi hasn’t materialized. He provided unexpected offense early on, but he’s tied with Durzi for most defensive zone giveaways, likely a function of being caught up in high risk/reward game the team played throughout November. Needs to return to the error-free game he provided in his first four seasons.

Alexander Edler – B. It takes a special player to reach 1000 games in the NHL, more so as a defenseman given the physical demands of the position. A safe, veteran presence on the third pair at a right-priced 15 minutes a night. If he moves up in the depth chart in the second half, it’s probably not a good thing.

Sean Walker – C. It’s a long way back to regain the form prior to the serious knee injury Walker suffered last season. The off-season plan to play Walker on the left side second pair was scrapped early, his game has stabilized after being moved to the third pair with Edler.

GOALTENDERS

Jonathan Quick – D. The question for the greatest goaltender in Los Angeles franchise history is how much trust will the team have in him for the second half? He’s near the bottom of the NHL in all goaltending statistics but found a way to win eight games before Pheonix Rising.  He faces the biggest test of his Hall of Fame career in the second half if he doesn’t improve because his worth may be greater as a locker room presence than an on-ice performer.

Cal Petersen – F. It may not be his fault that Blake gave him a contract based on his future than his body of work but when you’re earning $5 million playing for the Ontario Reign, it’s a half-season of failure.  It’s little surprise that his numbers are better (2.65 GAA, .917 save percentage) because no NHL player gets worse in the AHL maybe that helps him regain that confidence he’s lost along the way.

Pheonix Copley – A.  Saving the best for last? It wouldn’t be a stretch to make the grade an A+ because if he’s not the MVP of the first half, at minimum he was a driving force in the team’s December pivot.  His numbers other than his win-loss record aren’t eye-catching (2.52 GAA, .908) but he’s stopped the puck when needed and more importantly hasn't surrendered goals on stoppable shots thar often turn the momentum in games. Who knows what the future lies for this unrestricted free agent at season end but for the moment the cage is his in Los Angeles.

Given the defensive challenges Los Angeles faced as they improved offensively, being on track for a 100-point season is an impressive feat. Their long-struggling powerplay has now become a weapon, the Fiala addition makes them more entertaining and dangerous (and yes, at times to themselves) and recent games indicate they can improve defensively in the last 41.

With their Pacific Division opponents facing challenges (Vegas’ health, the Alberta teams collective underperformance and the question if Seattle can maintain its first half pace), they should be in the race for the division title. We’d like to see the move for a legitimate left side top four defenseman happen sooner than the off-season.

LOST IN THE TWITTERVERSE

On a personal note, you may have noticed my absence from Twitter since New Year’s Day. It’s not a New Year’s resolution but rather the result of my account being hijacked by some cryptocurrency donkey who thinks he can make some money. Hopefully our friends at @TwitterSupport can straighten things out over the next few days but it should be the worse thing to happen to me in 2023 and here’s a great year for all of us.