SUNRISE, FL – While the Stanley Cup Finals rages towards game three, following two games that have already been rendered the label ‘classics,’ it’s hard not to think about the old guys still playing at a high level for both teams.
Corey Perry is 40 years old and has had a remarkable year in Edmonton for someone of his age group. He’s been an almost perfect replacement for the net front presence missing with the season-ending surgery keeping Zach Hyman out of his second career finals appearance. On the flip side, there’s Brad Marchand, who was always considered a lifer in Boston but is now pursuing his second ring in Florida after losing in two finals since his 2011 run (2013, 2019). Marchand scored a short-handed goal and the game-winner in game two in double overtime.
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Not bad for a couple ‘old guys.’
Both players have showcased their skill sets on the highest levels despite not being what they used to be: go-to guys. I would think it would be a massive red flag if your leading players are not in the prime of their careers.
Well, that’s very much the case for the Los Angeles Kings, who have a couple of former stars pushing the big ‘4 0’. Those pillars exclude Trevor Lewis, who despite having success in his career in LA (will likely depart this offseason), are not of the same aura of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, 37 and 35, respectively (38 and 36 next season). Those two have carried the banner for over a decade, but their success has trailed off.
Categorically speaking, both of these players were in the top three in their respective positions at one point in their careers. When you align these two peaks with timeframe of having top three goaltender during the same prime arc of Jonathan Quick, you can see why the Kings played 11 playoff rounds in a three-year span.
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That successful now spans over a decade ago, with six total playoff rounds (all first rounds) since then. As Quick has long departed now, are these guys still the ones that should be driving the bus?
Kopitar’s minutes have started to gradually decrease season over season as the reins have begun to shift over to Quinton Byfield, particularly last season, where, amongst forwards, he finished third behind Kopitar and Adrian Kempe in time on ice. Byfield finished with the roster’s third most even strength points, two points ahead of the 1C, in Kopitar. In fact, of the two aging former stars in Kopitar, there’s less concern over a viable replacement for the Slovenian captain.
Byfield has now had back-to-back 50-point campaigns before turning 23 years of age, with the more recent accomplished while playing center. The last forward to do that for the Kings was Kopitar himself.
Of course, most people would like to see 70, 80+ points a year from Byfield, and in all reality, that’s what you expect from a second-overall pick. When looking at the Kings roster, it makes sense to think breaking 60 was a hurdle coupled with his youth inconsistencies. It adds up, given that Byfield played right around half the season with Kevin Fiala instead of the best winger in Kempe. The Swede has played four seasons straight as the stapled winger to Kopitar.
“There’s definitely pressure that you put yourself in but I feel like everybody in the NHL has pressure on them, so it’s just what you can do with that opportunity. I think there’s a lot more going into that, a lot was opportunity that you’re getting, I dealt with a lot of injuries and sicknesses, so there wasn’t much consistency for me when I came in and I feel like that affected me. Then, on top of being a high pick, you’ve got to perform, it was all super tough for me at that point, but I just let it go. I’ve been playing hockey my whole life and I knew what I could do, and I tried to sit back, relax and do my thing.”
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– Quinton Byfield, post extension signing July 16th, 2024
If Kempe slots next to Byfield next season for its entirety, does that formula of size, speed, and talent help break 60-70 points for the emerging Byfield?
Byfield’s a lot closer than you’d think. His playoffs were a great showcase, and if given the keys to being the go-to center with the right winger, he can truly embrace the 1C role.
Conversely, Doughty’s replacement has much to get up to speed with. Doughty is two years younger than Kopitar but has sustained two major injuries in the last five seasons, missing much of the previous season. The rearguard who got a Team Canada starting lineup gig still led the backend in time on ice this season. His play seemed largely off once he returned from injury, making it difficult to tell if this is the Doughty we must accept moving forward as he turns 36 this upcoming season or is it just the residual injury effect?
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Regardless, the backend is in quite a predicament. Their bonafide number two, Vladislav Gavrikov, remains unsigned as the days leading up to free agency trickle down. They desperately need a quality puck mover on the backend and spent the postseason putting Jordan Spence out to pasture. The heir apparent in Brandt Clarke is only 22 and despite being mostly raw had some success finally playing a full season in the NHL, given top unit powerplay and freedom.
Picking that apart however: a true bonus and ‘smart move’ to have Clarke absorb minutes and playing time but only due to Doughty’s injury. If Doughty avoided injury in the preseason against Vegas, would Clarke have gotten even half the opportunity he received? I have my doubts.
Unlike Kopitar, the Kings are almost certainly playing Doughty as the 1A on the backend for another season, if not two more seasons, with the coaching staff’s reluctance to simmer his minutes and transfer over the role more aggressively to Clarke.
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By definition, it’s been diminishing returns for these once mighty players of old. Two locks for the Hall of Fame and likely future statures outside Crypto.com will almost certainly not have Cinderella finishes to their late-stage careers as Perry or Marchand are currently enjoying.
It’s bittersweet for these lifelong Kings, having brought championships to LA but also being the fuel the Oilers have used to springboard their success for four straight playoff matchups. For the new front office, a precedent will need to be set for how to proceed with the past players who still have the keys to the driver’s seat as if they are still the franchise’s future.