Part III – The Players
Whatever plans the coach and General Manager have for the team, it is the guys on the ice who actually have to go out and get the job done. This review is not intended as a breakdown of the entire roster, but a look at a few key players who the Kings hope will become the nucleus of a winning team in the near future. This short preview does not include Kings’ rookies or prospects, because no matter how highly touted and hyped, it is impossible to predict how players who have not played in the NHL, or played in only a handful NHL games, will perform once inserted into the regular lineup.
FORWARDS
Patrick O’Sullivan, LW. 2007-2008 Stats: 78 GP, 22G, 31A, 53 Points. 
We might as well start with the player who is foremost on the minds of Kings’ fans these days. During his rookie campaign in the 2006-2007 season, O’Sullivan was demoted to the minors to learn how to play defense and how to work hard every shift. O’Sullivan reacted to the demotion in the best way possible – he listened and learned. O’Sullivan learned so well, in fact, that during the ’07-’08 season he became a regular on the Kings’ penalty-killing unit, a remarkable testament to the trust his coach placed in the defensive skill and responsibility of a very young player who was sent down to the minors the season before because he would not play defense.
There had never been any question about O’Sullivan’s offensive talent, and when O’Sullivan got a chance to play with two of the Kings’ best players on the top line, O’Sullivan shined. He possesses natural skills that cannot be taught, including soft hands, a wickedly hard, accurate wrist shot, patience, and that elusive quality known as a “nose for the net.” At only twenty-three years of age, the future for O’Sullivan seems to be very bright. The upcoming season will be a key test for O’Sullivan, as he is no longer an unknown quantity and his name has become known in the league. Opposing coaches will be sure to put a target on O’Sullivan’s back in order to find out whether the smallish forward can be pushed around and intimidated by physical play. Given just how crucial this upcoming season may turn out to be to his future development, it is a little surprising that O’Sullivan has chosen to skip camp in order to go to the mat with the Kings on his contract.
Anze Kopitar, C. 2007-2008 Stats: 82 GP, 32G, 45A, 77 Points.
Slovenia. The one and only reason that Anze Kopitar is a King is that he was born and raised in a country which is about as well known for producing NHL hockey players as the Bahamas. As talented as Kopitar obviously was, teams were nevertheless reluctant to select him in the 2005 draft because of the country he came from. So when the Kings, owners of the 11th selection in the first round, came to the podium to make their pick, Kopitar was still available. Much to the amazement of the Kings’ faithful, the Kings managed to not screw up the opportunity dropped into their laps and called Kopitar’s name. After spending the 2005-2006 season in the Swedish Elite League, Kopitar came to Los Angeles for training camp in the summer of 2006 after which Kings’ management had planned to send Kopitar to Manchester to get acclimated to North American hockey. Kopitar had other plans. After being the best player in camp and easily winning a job with the big club, Kopitar forever cemented his place in the hearts of Kings’ fans by not only scoring his first NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks, but by undressing one of the NHL’s best and most reviled defensemen, Chris Pronger, to do it.
There is little to be said about Kopitar that anyone who follows the Kings even casually does not already know. He has size, strength, vision, speed, desire, soft hands…. A prototype first-line center, Kopitar should anchor the Kings’ first line for many years to come while making an annual trip to the NHL All-Star game. In 2008-2009, a 100-point season from Kopitar would surprise absolutely no one.
Alexander Frolov, RW. 2007-2008 Stats: 71 GP, 23G, 44A, 67 Points.
Alexander Frolov is the kind of player who is underappreciated by casual hockey fans and adored by hard-core hockey fanatics. Frolov’s game consists of very little flash and a whole lot of substance. Frolov is a big, strong power forward whose long, loping strides do not make him look very fast, but he is quite adept at getting from point A to point B very quickly for a man his size. While lacking some of the dazzling moves exhibited by his countrymen, Frolov possesses superb hands and excellent offensive instincts. In addition to his offensive gifts, Frolov is also a tireless worker who is superb in his own zone. He would be absolutely invaluable in the playoffs – if the Kings ever manage to get there.
One of Frolov’s most impressive skills is his ability to buy time in the offensive zone by holding on to the puck and shielding it from defensive players with his large frame, giving him time to make a play. Frolov may be most underappreciated for his amazing conditioning. While spending an entire game with 220-pound slabs of beef draped all over him and working hard on the defensive end, Frolov rarely appears to be tired late in the third period while the unfortunate souls who have drawn the unenviable task of covering Frolov are reaching for the oxygen masks. For knowledgeable hockey fans, there is no greater reward than watching a hometown forward grind opposing defensemen into submission. Frolov’s career high is 35 goals. If he stays healthy, there is no reason why he cannot score a similar number of goals in the upcoming season. If he is ever matched with other skilled offensive players, Frolov could top 90 points.
Dustin Brown, RW. 2007-2008 Stats: 77GP, 33G, 27A, 60 Points.
Unlike Alexander Frolov’s, Brown’s game is appreciated by the casual fan and the hockey purist alike. There are few more exciting plays in hockey than a good check, and Brown likes to hit people. A lot. Brown, who led the NHL in hits in the 2007-2008 season, is a prime example of a player who uses his size to maximum advantage. Standing in at only six feet and two hundred pounds, he is undersized for an NHL power forward. However, Brown’s checking prowess proves that hitting is less about size than timing as he has laid a number of big hits on players who were much taller and heavier.
Brown has assumed a leadership role on the team and is widely expected to wear the “C” for the Kings next season. He is quickly becoming the Kings’ own version of Jerome Iginla. While it does not appear that Brown has Iginla’s offensive upside, he does look to have all of Iginla’s heart and desire. Like Iginla, Brown is a player whose true value to a team will only be fully realized come playoff time. Another 60+ point season should be in the offing and do not be surprised if the “C” on his chest causes Brown to drop his mitts a few more times than we are used to seeing.
Jarret Stoll, C. 2007-2008 Stats: 81GP, 14G, 22A, 36 Points.
Acquired by the Kings from Edmonton as part of the Visnovsky trade, the Kings hope that Stoll is the answer to the question of who will center their second line. As a 24-year-old, Stoll seemed to hold much promise during the 2005-2006 season, when he tallied 22 goals and 46 assists for the Oilers. The next season, Stoll suffered a serious concussion and played in only 51 games. During the 2007-2008 season, while playing in all but one of the Oilers’ games, he was not the same player he was in 2005-2006. Despite the disappointing offensive numbers last season, Stoll brings more to the table than just offense. He possesses a booming slap shot and can play the point on the power play, is an excellent faceoff man, and is no slouch in the defensive end, having led the Oilers in hits and all Oilers’ forwards in blocked shots last season. That said, the Kings acquired Stoll in the hopes that he can regain his offensive form of a couple of season ago. Anything less could not be described as anything other than a disappointment. It remains to be seen whether in future seasons the Kings can expect the output of the 2005-2006 season from Stoll or whether last season’s production is the most Stoll is capable of producing from this point forward.
DEFENSEMEN
Jack Johnson, D. 2007-2008 Stats: 74 GP, 3G, 8A, 11 Points.
While the Kings organization was certainly happy about the acquisition of Jack Johnson, Kings’ fans wholeheartedly took it upon themselves to hype Jack Johnson. While many of the comments regarding his abilities, including the capacity to leap tall buildings in a single bound, were made with tongue firmly planted in cheek, nevertheless many fans appeared to be disappointed when Johnson did not dominate the NHL immediately, particularly because he was asked to reign in one of the strongest parts of his game, his offense, in order to learn how to play defense at the NHL level.
For those who understand the yawning chasm between the level at which Johnson played immediately prior to joining the Kings, his progress was stunning, as Johnson was leading the Kings in ice time before the end of the season. To come out of college hockey and straight into the NHL and not be absolutely embarrassed by the world’s best hockey players is a remarkable achievement. While college football and college basketball are de facto minor leagues for the NFL and the NBA, respectively, college hockey is anything but. Canadian major junior hockey is a significant step up from U.S. college hockey and the American Hockey League is a very significant step up from major junior. Most U.S. college programs do not have a single player on their teams who is going to get a sniff of the NHL. To put things in perspective, on most game nights at the University of Michigan Jack Johnson faced teams whose best players could not come close to matching the skill and talent of even journeyman NHL players. To go from facing guys who could not carry Jeff Guliano’s jock to having to compete against the Iginlas, Ovechkins and Thorntons of the world night after night in a matter of a few weeks must have been an incredible shock. The fact that Johnson was not only not embarrassed by these players but held his own is a testament to just what a special player he is. If he continues to progress at the same rate, it would not be at all surprising if he becomes one of the best defensemen to ever suit up for the Kings.
Matt Greene, D. 2007-2008 Stats: 46 GP, 0G, 1A, 1 Point.
Greene is not going to be confused by anyone for an offensive juggernaut. But every defenseman does not have to put up big numbers to be effective. Greene is still relatively young and may not have yet reached his full potential. If he does, he could become a defensive stopper in the mode of a Mattias Norstrom, who was the Kings defensive anchor for many years. If Greene does become the next Norstrom, Kings’ fans would be justifiably delirious with joy. In the more likely event that Greene does not become the next Norstrom, he should nevertheless be a serviceable third or fourth defenseman for the Kings. Unfortunately, the Kings’ youth and inexperience is likely to result in Greene playing too many minutes for the Kings in the upcoming season, which will serve to highlight his limitations.
THE PRESENT AND FUTURE KINGS Pt III 
