Grading the Players

[ibleedkings]

Jeff Carter A-
Tanner Pearson B
Jordan Nolan C
Trevor Lewis C+
Dustin Brown C
Derek Forbort B
Alec Martinez B-
Kevin Gravel B
Budaj B+
LaDue B
Kempe B
Iginla C+
Tyler Toffoli C+
Drew Doughty B-
Nic Dowd C+
Kyle Clifford D
Nick Shore C
Anze Kopitar C
Jake Muzzin C
Andy Andreoff D
Brayden McNabb D
Marian Gaborik C-

 

[damacles1156]

Carter
Pearson
Budaj
Lewis
Forbort

All deserve A+

Brown/Nolan/Shore with a solid C+ maybe a B-

Kempe/LaDue/Dowd/Gravel I want to say incomplete.

Everyone else gets a big fat Fail.

 

[theMajor]

if/when it comes out that Kopitar is probably playing through a broken bone, I really wonder how many people will change their tune. there is and was obviously something seriously wrong with him in a physical sense

 

[KINGS17]

if/when it comes out that Kopitar is probably playing through a broken bone, I really wonder how many people will change their tune. there is and was obviously something seriously wrong with him in a physical sense

If/when it comes out Kopitar hasn't been playing through a broken bone, what will you say?

It would be pretty difficult for a hockey player to play through a broken wrist, especially a center taking faceoffs.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Kopitar is also skating like he's hauling an anchor. He's easily knocked off the puck now and has forgotten how to use his body to shield the puck. And doesn't he have the best faceoff winning percentage on the team? I think the wrist thing is an excuse. A convenient crutch. What was his injury in 2014-15?

 

[damacles1156]

It's simple really.

Kopitar has 903 NHL games on his body(include playoff's). He is turning 30 years of age in AUG.

Kopitar is not 18-27 years old anymore.

 

[theMajor]

I know a lot of people are writing off his performance this season as an indication of whats to come due to his age but I 100% believe its injury related

 

[Steve Zissou]

It sucks that Kopitar is being outscored by most of the NHL and yes it's proven that he's streaky as all hell, but what I find most disturbing is that this season he has consistently been losing his board battles and the small 1on1's that he used to be so good at it.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It sucks that Kopitar is being outscored by most of the NHL and yes it's proven that he's streaky as all hell, but what I find most disturbing is that this season he has consistently been losing his board battles and the small 1on1's that he used to be so good at it.

That's exactly why I'm so concerned about his play dropping off a cliff. He's become very soft and completely avoids going to the hard areas now. He really has earned that "Perimitar" nickname.

 

[CowMix]

I think as Kopitar gets older he just needs more help on his wings, he can't do it all himself anymore. He's never really had an elite winger before (Gaborik was older, Williams and Brown are both more of 2nd/3rd liners, Lucic was only here for a season but it seemed to work during his time here) but he has produced. I think for him to produce now though hes going to need one especially as he exits his prime. Something like Muzzin for Taylor Hall would have been a good trade for us when Muzzin had value.

 

[Fishhead]

I know a lot of people are writing off his performance this season as an indication of whats to come due to his age but I 100% believe its injury related

I think it's a combination of the two. Something is obviously not right physically, but if he was younger he would have healed faster, and then you have a typical slowdown because of his age. A flexibility improving regimen might be good for him over the summer.

 

[fivehole32]

I think Trevor Lewis has played better than expected.

Muzzin and Martinez have made some mindboggling bad reads this year defensively. They made plays where they "hope" to make a play that is a 3% chance of happening rather than bail out to proper positioning and not get turned around.

As far as Kopitar's play. I honestly believe he is playing through something. Lombardi said a few years ago when asked by a reporter about shutting guys down for injury, "There is a big difference between playing hurt and playing injured. You would hope that guys would play through pain because at the end of the year everyone is a little hurt." Or something to that effect. Being the Captain and being a player I am certain he doesn't want to take time off both for leadership reasons and personal reasons. To make it at this level there has to be a little bit of a drive to want to play all of the time. I guess once the final game is played we shall see.

 

[KINGS17]

Hey!! Drew Doughty wrist shot sighted.