Anže Kopitar - Ageless Wonder

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm glad he's getting a deserved reverence in this thread

I wonder how people speak about him if he had won that Hart (robbed imo) OR if he wasn't head to head with Bergeron for an entire decade of Selkes

 

[Terry Yake]

one of my favorite non-ducks players since he came into the league. you knew he was going to be special after the way he scored his first goal

kings have gotten incredibly lucky with the way he and doughty have aged through the years

 

[FromChaos22]

I'm a bit surprised to see that he's only been above PPG once in his career. Very very consistent though. He's actually on pace for one of his best years right now.

That's Kings Hockey baby

 

[Il Stugotz]

Amazing longevity. I think of him and Toews as equals otherwise

Well, him and Pogacar!

and Janja Garnbret

 

[bland]

His longevity is going to see him push for the top 25 all time, which is remarkable given that he has rarely been in the top 25 scorers of any season. Only two seasons above 80 points, and only one season with better than a ppg stat.

I have seen every single game he has played for the Kings, and no, he was not quite as good as Bergeron or Toews during the peak of that era - but that is nothing to complain about. He has been a B+/A- player for a very, very, very long time and a deserved lock for the HHOF.

 

[Kingfan1967]

He's awesome cause his english is fantastic.
I look down on players who live in NA for 15 years and have shitty english!

As an immigrant, it really grinds my gears!

Anže Kopitar, a professional hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings, speaks five languages: English, Slovene, Serbian, German, and Swedish.

 

[Coffey]

Anže Kopitar, a professional hockey player for the Los Angeles Kings, speaks five languages: English, Slovene, Serbian, German, and Swedish.

And that's why I love him.

 

[Kingfan1967]

Kopitar is so damn good. Definition of a guy who "plays the game the right way". Young players should watch him and model their game after him, especially centers.


Two cups isn't a dynasty... They didn't even make playoffs the year following their second cup (and haven't won a playoff series since)... Kopitar is great, he doesn't need exaggerations to make his case.

2012 cup , 2013 WCF , 2014 Cup is pretty close to a dynasty in todays cap era (some other teams can also make this claim).

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Better than Sundin

Yeah it can certainly be argued. I think Sundin was a bit better offensively, but Kopitar has been far superior defensively. Sundin wasn't exactly bad in his own end, killed a lot of penalties, but Kopitar's just on another level there.

 

[Albatros]

Sundin's offense was another level, it's not really close in that regard. He was a dominant force and often on his own. Overall one can certainly argue both ways depending on what one values more.

 

[kerrabria]

I mean this respectfully not in a bad way, I don't think anything he does from this point on changes his legacy very much unless he wins a major award / wills them to another cup. He's already done so much between the dynasty of the 2010's and his play throughout his career.

I am not sure he has anything left to prove to be a HHOFer

We're playing fast and loose with the term "dynasty" when you include 10 playoff series victories.

 

[Regal]

He’s also a guy who doesn’t get noted for his health enough. He’s never missed significant time in any season and almost every year plays either the full schedule or misses only a game or two. He’s played 1395 out of a possible 1426 regular season games for the team. 98% of the time he’s in the lineup.

 

[Osprey]

It was a little sad that some Kings fans threw him under the bus last year in order to anoint Byfield. They actually said that Quinton was the engine of that line and carrying old man Anze. Less than a year later, Byfield is no longer on the top line and is struggling to score, while Kopitar's production has risen. It should be clear now who was carrying whom.

 

[Regal]

Sundin's offense was another level, it's not really close in that regard. He was a dominant force and often on his own. Overall one can certainly argue both ways depending on what one values more.

Sundin was better offensively but I wouldn’t say it’s not even close. Probably looking at a 10 point or less difference or so per year if they were playing at the same time. Kopitar was also on his own for the most part.

 

[Il Stugotz]

He’s never missed significant time in any season .

Just in 2011 when he broke his ankle right before the playoffs (don’t look that one up if you’re squeamish like me). I remember seeing it live and then coming on here to Kings fans saying that they had no hope in the playoffs now.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Kopitar ranks 43rd all-time in the NHL in points, and by the time he retires, he may move past Sundin for 30th all-time in points.

Imagine how it feels to be one of the nine buffoons who passed on him in 2005.

 

[Albatros]

Sundin was better offensively but I wouldn’t say it’s not even close. Probably looking at a 10 point or less difference or so per year if they were playing at the same time. Kopitar was also on his own for the most part.

Sundin could score 40 goals in the DPE playing with Renberg and Höglund (and without Doughty), Kopitar never was quite there as an offensive threat. Obviously it's an extremely high standard set by another all-time great.

 

[Regal]

Sundin could score 40 goals in the DPE playing with Renberg and Höglund (and without Doughty), Kopitar never was quite there as an offensive threat. Obviously it's an extremely high standard set by another all-time great.

Sundin was definitely a better goal scorer, but that wasn’t really his norm. He had 28 the year before, and while he followed it up with 37 in 75, he was at 31 the year after that. Typically he was a low 30s goal scorer while Kopitar was more of a mid 20s guy and the 2010s were just as brutal of a scoring environment as the DPE. Slightly higher goals, but a lot less PP time which hurt the top end players.

I don’t see linemates being much of a factor. Brown, Williams etc were better players, but not significantly better offensively. And Doughty was elite due to his all around game but wasn’t really any better offensively than McCabe and Kaberle.
The Quinn-era Leafs were also a run and gun team who were near the top of the league in goals while the Sutter-era Kings were extremely defensive.

 

[johan f]

It is a meh that Doughty was the more talk of town-guy than Kopitar is/was.

 

[AD1066]

Slovenia's National Treasure
GOAT LA King

One of many treasures. I had a chance to visit this summer and the country is stunning. Hard to imagine a HOF hockey player coming from such a place, though.

 

[qc14]

I keep waiting for this guy to fall off. I keep waiting for him to not be the do-everything #1-star center. Instead, it is the 24-25 season he's 37 years-old and he's single-handedly willing a pretty mediocre Kings outfit stuck between old and new generations to a competitive place yet again.

20 minutes a night. PPG+ scoring pace. Leading the team in scoring. #1 PP unit. Still killing penalties. Still great on the dot. Still does everything for this Kings team.

I'm beginning to think Kopitar might just be really good till age 40 at this point. I think he's got a real shot at cracking the top 20 all-time points list. Then you add his Cups, two-way play / Selkes, leadership, etc...what are we looking at here from a historical context if he finishes his career as strongly as it seems he might? Clearly not just a run of the mill HoFer...has to start to enter the shortlist for best European NHLers ever, no? Not saying obviously at 1 or 2...but on a very, very short list.

Not bad for a kid from the ice hockey hotbed of Jesenice, Slovenia.

Already top 20 in HRef's adjusted points. He is what people think guys like Toews/Marchand/Datsyuk are. I would have him as the 6th best European NHLer

 

[Rodgerwilco]

2012 cup , 2013 WCF , 2014 Cup is pretty close to a dynasty in todays cap era (some other teams can also make this claim).

2 cups in 3 years isn't a dynasty, i don't care what era it is lol. Especially book-ended by 19 seasons (9 before and 10 after) of not winning a single series lol.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

I wish Habs drafted him instead of Price.

We're still looking for a No.1 center...

 

[Coffey]

I wish Habs drafted him instead of Price.

We're still looking for a No.1 center...

But if you got him, you would be looking for a #1 goalie.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

But if you got him, you would be looking for a #1 goalie.

I understand your point but I'd rather have a no.1 center than a goalie, especially with how the game has evolved.