It's About Time

A couple of years ago, I about came out of my skin in frustration and anger at both the NHL, and the fans across North America.  Anze Kopitar had been left out of the All Star game.   Daryl Sutter was an amazing coach that helped make the dreams of LA hockey players and fans come true, but his system of play not only reduced scoring by the other team, but by the Kings players as well.  Kopi's stat line wasn't flashy, and to someone that didn't watch him night in and night out, he didn't stand out.  If you did watch him night in and night out, if you did play against him, there could be no doubt that he is the best player on the ice.  I knew it, the coaches in the NHL knew it, the players in the NHL knew it, but few others did.

Kopitar was recently awarded the Selke trophy, and despite some legitimate contenders, he clearly deserved it, in addition to deserving it for the last six years.  In addition to winning the Selke, he finished in third place for the Heart trophy.  While I am thankful for the recognition, I have to say that the voters missed it here.  Taylor Hall is a fantastic player as the demise of Edmonton and the subsequent rise of New Jersey clearly shows us.  He is an amazing scorer.  Without taking anything away from any of the top players in the league, Kopi is the best forward.

Looking at all the great players in today's game, if I had to start a team, I would have to start with Kopi.  I don't make this statement lightly.  I'm actually pleased to say that it was almost a three way tie with other Kings players, and I hope that Drew and Jonathan keep feeling the love, despite the slight snub here.  As fans, we really are quite blessed.  Many people get caught up in stats, and while stats can help paint a picture of a player, they only provide a glimpse of a player and are greatly dependent upon many things outside the ability or performance of that player.  When comparing stats, and the intangibles such as: leadership, defense, control of play, and making players around him better; no one is as good as Kopitar.

Stat wise, Kopi, the best "defensive" forward in the league, was seventh in scoring, which by the way was only one point behind the so called MVP.  He was thirteenth in assists, and fifteenth in goals.  The balance here is quite impressive.   In addition, his +/- was +21.  These numbers are good, but if we simply look at numbers, Taylor gets the nod in goals, and players like Karlsson and Giroux (another favorite of mine) might get the nod because of overall numbers, especially plus minus.  There is more to consider.

One of the first things to consider is who a player is playing with, and their impact on those players.  When thinking about Kopi, it is important to keep in mind that despite being a very good hockey player, Brown's goals were nearly doubled this year by playing with Kopi.  Their other line mate, a player I really like, is even less of a scorer than Brown.  If Kopi ever got to play with high level scorers, his numbers would likely be off the charts.  Instead, it was merely near the top.

Secondly, we must also consider who a player is playing against.  Kopi, almost invariably, plays against the top lines of other teams.  This means that his defensive responsibilities are among the most prominent in the league.  It is also important to consider what those top players say about playing against Kopi.  They hate it.  He skates with the best in the league.  He can't be knocked around.  He plays smart and makes their lives incredibly difficult.  He controls play in the offensive zone, forcing offensive players to grind defensively, which reduces their offensive opportunities.  He doesn't make mistakes very often, and just when you think he's just a grinder, he demonstrates the hands and skating to make defenders look silly.

Lastly we must consider some of the less obvious aspects of Kopi as a team mate.  We already saw his affect on his line mates, but his role on the Kings goes much deeper.  As far as I can tell, players like playing with or around Kopi.  I'm not in the locker room, but we might infer from what we don't hear.  No one seems to want to leave the Kings, with the notable exception of Camilleri, and that was because he wasn't getting to play with Kopi as he had been led to believe that he would.  No one complains about Kopi, his demeanor, his interactions, his off the ice behavior.  It almost seems like he is the prototypical team leader.  Granted these are inferences, but I believe that there is a strong case for them.

Kopi is a leader, both on the ice and off.  He makes his team mates better.  He frustrates and beguiles opposing players.  He plays both physically and with the highest level of skill.  He controls play both offensively and defensively.  He puts up numbers with league leaders with less help than any other player in the top twenty of any category.  If he were on the East Coast, or in Canada, he would readily be recognized much more than he is.  But, thankfully, he is a Los Angeles King.  Anze Kopitar is the best player in hockey.