The Los Angeles Kings Look to Give Anze Kopitar a Fitting Sendoff as He Begins His Final NHL Season
The Los Angeles Kings look to get over the hump and pass the Edmonson Oilers this season. It will also be the last season for one of their star players. We’ll talk about that and a lot more coming up on today’s Locked on NHL podcast. [Music] You’re Locked on NHL, your daily podcast on the National Hockey League. Part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. Gil Martin here. Welcome everybody to the Monday edition of the Lockdown NHL podcast. We are part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. I want to thank everyone who makes Locked on NHL your first listen every day. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting fanuel.com and win $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. It is my pleasure to welcome back to the show the host of Locked on LA Kings and a host of locked on NHL game night, Eddie Garcia. And uh Eddie, interesting season coming up for the LA Kings. Let’s start with an Kopitar because this is now officially his last goround. What is his legacy with this team and how important is it for him to go out on a high note? Well, I think part of the reason why he’s doing this now is he wants to go out on his own terms, right? He’s on a team that is very likely going to be in the playoffs again. So, he’ll get to conclude his career with Stanley Cup playoff action. We think um he still has gas in the tank. Um, last year he led the team in assists and he was second on the team in points. So, this is not a guy who is leaving because he isn’t producing anymore. He could probably sign a one or a two-year contract and no one in in Kingsland, no Kings fans would be very upset about that. And there would be kind of this transition to Quinton Biffield being the number one center, him maybe being the number two center, this maybe a little bit of a prolonged passing of the torch, but it’s 20 years for him and as he said, this is his 20th season. And as he said, he feels like it’s just time and uh he wants to he’s got two young children, a little boy and a girl, and he he says it’s about time for him to start being a dad. He’s had his career. He’s won his two Stanley Cups. He’s been a a multiple Selki trophy winner. Um, and as far as his legacy with the Kings, some people might be surprised to hear me say this. I think he’s the greatest Los Angeles king ever. Now, what does that mean? People can qualify that in different ways. Wayne Gretzky was probably the most influential player to ever wear a Kings jersey. I personally consider him more of an Edmonton Oiler than an LA King, even though he got me excited and interested in the NHL. But I to me the greatest player in a in a franchise history to me should be drafted by that team and play his entire career with that team and have some major team and individual success. He checks all those boxes. Uh Marcel Dion of course a great he wasn’t an original king. He came from another team. Uh Luke Robbitai didn’t play his entire career with the Kings, but I mean they’re they’re great great players and they’re certainly in the argument. But for me, Kopitar, 20 years, multiple cups, individual awards, drafted by the team, whole career with the team, captain of the team, I think he’s the greatest LA King of all time. Hockey Hall of Fame for sure. I think so. Some people have asked me that who are not necessarily Kings fans. I I you know, I do some other podcasts. I do an NHL podcast that, you know, recaps the week in the NHL and we have listeners from all over the place. And someone asked me that, is he a Hall of Famer? And I was taken aback by that question. But it does remind me being on the West Coast, being a very understated guy, never says anything controversial, never was involved in anything. He’s won the Lady Bing trophy three times, so there’s that. I I’m I’m a little saddened that his career has been I believe underappreciated. I think he’s the West Coast Patrice Berseron or Alexander Barkov type of a guy. Maybe I’m sure if he played in a you know uh if he played in Chicago or New York or Toronto, his profile would be a lot higher, but people that know he’s definitely a Hall of Fame player. I I agree 100%. So be uh interesting to see the the farewell tour. so to speak and uh always wish him the best. He’s always been a class act on and off the ice. And Gil, I was a little surprised that he announced it before the season. I thought he would do a Dustin Brown and bow out quietly, you know, at the end of the year. He said he wanted to get it out of the way. He didn’t want to have the questions. And that’s fair. He said it was a bit of a selfish move for him. Personally, I like it because I hope he gets some flowers in his final games across the NHL and gets a little recognition that he deserves. Very ironically on his press conference when he announced this was his last year, it was also announced about an hour earlier that Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw was going to pitch his LA. So even on the day that he announced it was going to be his last year, he got overshadowed. And that’s just kind of Andre Kovitar. And I I guarantee you he didn’t care one bit about that. He’s always been fine being kind of in the shadows and just doing his thing. And the people who know know and that’s all that matters to him. Wh what’s going on right now with the contract negotiations with Adrien Kempe? Where where does it stand and what what is the significance of where it stands? Well, it’s ongoing. Um both sides appear to be saying all the right things. I think most importantly, Adrien Kempe is saying, “I’m fine with it taking its time. Would I like it to get done before the season?” Yes. He said he didn’t call it a deadline, but he said he would really like to have it wrapped up before Christmas. Uh, and I I think all of us as Kings fans would like it wrapped up well before that. Um, for people that don’t know, because I think Adrien Kemp is a bit of an underrated player around the league. He’s the Kings best player. Um, he is a player a lot of Kings players have to be like this and he definitely is. He’s a very underrated defensive player. um does it on both ends of the ice, is a is a great finisher, and he unlike Andre Kopitar has a bit of an attitude. He he has an edge to him. I’m not saying he’s, you know, going to go in like a bull in a china shop to the to the net, but he’s not afraid to get his nose dirty. He has a little bit of a swagger to him, which is we enjoy because again, not a lot of Kings players seem to have that. Um, but he’s a very important player and he’s still in his prime. So, to me, this is a no-brainer. I know he, you know, we’ve heard 10 million a year, maybe 11 million a year. The cap’s going up. I think he’s completely worth that and more. So, um, apparently the last report we heard was that they weren’t that close. Um, so it it isn’t an issue for now because the because Kempe is saying it’s okay. We’re not I’m not in a hurry. It sounds fine. But as it goes along, uh, certainly Kings fans will be a little bit more and more worried. How long do you think they’re looking at? Do you think they’ll go the max eight or is he looking for something shorter? Yeah, both sides have said they would like it to go eight. So, it’s the years are not the issue. It’s the year the the dollars per year that apparently is the issue right now. We have uh another season coming up potentially. You don’t want to see the Edmonton Oilers for the fifth straight year or do you? No. What are the keys to success for the Kings this season? And who are some of the prospects or newer players who could impact that? Well, they’re not a lot of prospects. Uh the Kings Cupboard is a little bit bare uh sadly at the moment. So, the future the the near future could be an issue, but we’ll see. They’re focused though on the now. Um, there are two younger players who I think are going to be keys for the Kings and that’s Quinton Biffield who is the 1A 1B topline center with Andre Kopitar. When it’s all said and done at the end of the year, he may get more minutes than Kopitar. So, there’s that transition that is kind of going on. And Brent Clark uh on defense. Um, he had his first full season in the NL last year. uh the coaching staff. He’s an offensive defenseman in a sea of defensive defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings. He’s, you know, Dowy has that to his game as well, Drew Dowy, but he’s really the young dynamic kind of offensive defenseman that the Kings haven’t really had in a while. So, last year the coaching staff challenged him, prove us you can fit into our defensive first scheme. Show us we know what you can do offensively. Show us what you can do defensively. and the coaching staff has said, “Okay, he proved it to us and the feeling is now we’re taking the training wheels off. We’re going to allow you, now that you’ve proven that you can get the job done defensively, we’re now going to give you a little bit more rope to show what you can do offensively.” So the hope amongst Kings fans in addition to bringing back most of the team is that Quinton Biffield and Brent Clark will take a decent step forward and that will be part of the equation to helping the Kings have a better I won’t say a better season because they actually tied their franchise record for wins and points in a season last year. So, that’s going to be hard to top, but to have a similar season, but take the other step in the playoffs, and that’s getting out of the first round. And I hope they don’t face the Oilers again because I’ve seen that movie before. I don’t think anyone else wants to see it other than maybe Oilers fans. So, we’ll see. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. Oilers Kings 5 is not the sequel that Kings fans want. No. No. Those sequels don’t get better as they go along, it seems like. So, uh, usually they do not. No, no, no. Eddie, why don’t you tell our viewers and our listeners where they could find the podcast and where they could find you on social media? Yeah, of course. Uh, it’s Locked on LA Kings. I, you know, Gil, I always say make sure it’s got the LA in there because if you just put Locked on Kings, you’re probably going to get an NBA team from Northern California. So, locked on LA Kings, wherever you get your podcast in on YouTube and locked on LA Kings, as well as uh you can follow us on social media. All right, Eddie, thank you so much. Thank you. Today’s episode is brought to you by your friends at FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer that you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down just five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love how FanDuel gives me so many ways to play. I’ve built parlays. I’ve tried player props and even followed the live lines during games. It makes watching football even more exciting when you’ve got a little something riding on the action. So whether you’re a casual fan or love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. So what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. That’s fuel.com to get started today.
The Los Angeles Kings look to give Anze Kopitar a fitting sendoff as he announced this would be his final NHL season. We discuss his impact and legacy as he starts his 20th season with the team.
Eddie Garcia of Locked On Los Angeles Kings joins us to discuss this plus the latest on the Quinton Byfield negotiations and what it will take for the Kings to go on the playoff run this spring.
All this and more on today’s Locked On NHL Podcast with Gil Martin.
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year.
FanDuelDownload the FanDuel app now by visiting FanDuel.com and win $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LONHL?sid=YouTube
Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL
Follow Locked On NHL on Social
Twitter https://bit.ly/3hXyu5w
Facebook https://bit.ly/3BubZNc
#NHL #Hockey #losangeleskings