EL SEGUNDO, CA — As training camp winds down for the Los Angeles Kings, the roster has undergone its final adjustments and is now set to steer the course of game one readiness. When examining the groupings of centres and forwards, it’s a promising squad, particularly in reflection on the past season, even with the unfortunate injury to newly acquired forward Corey Perry. For the forward group, the pairings (center with a fixed winger) have three solidified duos that have formed in place after last season.
Last season saw the emergence of Quinton Byfield, the team’s future pivot at 1C, at his natural position, but most importantly, the cohesion of the duo of Byfield and Kevin Fiala. That creation solved two issues. It enhanced a roster that has traditionally been dry offensively and solved the issue of where to put Fiala. It created a 1-2 duo with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar that has eased itself into conversation as an elevated top-two forward line pairing in league comparisons. The trick, though, to a coveted and dangerous roster, is having that third duo.
Advertisement
That’s where Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore have thrived since becoming regulars back in the 2021-22 season. They have been a staple of the Kings’ lineup due to both players’ ability to play in all situations, particularly in high-leverage situations. In the season after conception to now, they’ve accumulated 2247.06 minutes together since the start of the 2022-23 season, having a 56.03% Corsi, 57.95% Fenwick, outshooting opposition 1309-952 (57.89% SF%), outscoring 100-81 (55.25% GF%), outchancing 1153-919 (55.65% SCF%), with high danger chances at 472-368 (56.19%) and high danger goals vs against 52-38 (57.78%) via NaturalStatTrick.
That’s one of the better forward linemate duos in hockey, able to play both sides of the puck, particularly for their defensive game. However, their 55.25% GF, in perspective, doesn’t sit that far below the best-scoring line of last season that could remotely approach that kind of ice time (Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Gabriel Vilardi held a 57.1% GF amongst lines played above the 700-minute mark). That duo is a massive reason why the Kings have transitioned from a rebuilding team to a playoff contender during the Rob Blake era. It’s evident in the presence of Danault, a player not known for his scoring prowess, having had two 20-goal seasons in LA, and Moore, who boasts a 30-goal season to his name.
The line, with last year’s acquisition of Warren Foegele, can either tilt the ice or open that avenue for the Byfield-Fiala/Kopitar-Kempe duos. The fact of the matter is, with the addition of Foegele, that line has now been the best pure shutdown line that the Kings have had in quite some time. In their 365:16 together at 5v5, they had a 56.15% Corsi, 55.4% Fenwick, outshooting opposition 201-156 (56.3% SF%), outscoring 22-8 (73.33% GF%), outchancing 204-158 (56.35% SCF%), with high danger chances at 92-75 (55.09%) and high danger goals vs against 12-5 (70.59%) via NaturalStatTrick.
Advertisement
Foegele has elevated the offensive capabilities of the line while also maintaining its effectiveness as a shutdown unit, with high-danger goal rates favoring his presence alongside Danault and Moore.
Each of these players has a role in special teams as well, and those roles are highly coveted. Most importantly, they have gelled on a third line that has done the dirty work and still contributes offensively for a team that often struggles to do so. The Danault-Moore duo received a significant boost with the cohesion of Fogele, just as the other lines have found their third man (Andrei Kuzmenko, Alex Laferriere). Still, with the line that acts as the worker bee, they truly act as the foundational piece from which the King’s offense can springboard.
Advertisement
Altogether, when considering the rates of last season, the offense should look sharp at even strength, anchored by a third line that can do it all. The top line even-strength goal totals of last year, Kopitar: 17, Kempe: 27, and Kuzmenko (82 game pace): 19, would be 63 goals. The Byfield line: 21+19+17=57. Danault’s line: 23+7+16: 46. 166 goals would equate to the 15th best in all of hockey at even strength last season, and that’s without factoring in the fourth line, depth roster players, and defensive core. It’s a massive reason why the Kings finished 8th in the league in that category last season.
There are some caveats here. The team will have the opportunity to experience a full season of the Kuzmenko effect, as well as the potential next steps for Laferriere and Byfield, which should fully showcase an upgraded offensive arsenal from the top two lines.
Back into focus on the third line, is Moore going to ever hit 30 goals again? Will Danault threaten the 20-25 range again? While not exactly plausible, they don’t need to, even if some of those numbers seem impractical. That outlook seems unlikely when considering the team needs Byfield to take those next steps offensively – those points will have to come from somewhere, and an NHL team is rarely, if ever, in the cap era, littered top to bottom with 30 goal scorers.
Advertisement
Moore and Danault are quintessential Kings, staples of the lineup. All you have to do is go back and watch game five of the 2021-22 series against Edmonton, specifically the shift prior to Kempe scoring in overtime. You’ll see Danault and Moore laying the groundwork for that goal. They will continue to lay the groundwork, even if they start to shrink out of the spotlight and into their conforming roles that allow the top two lines to thrive.