What The LA Kings Opening Night Roster Could Look Like
![LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 05: Fans head to the entrance for opening night of the Los Angeles Kings 2017-2018 season against the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center on October 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 05: Fans head to the entrance for opening night of the Los Angeles Kings 2017-2018 season against the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center on October 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/1ba68a38dda278b0803c2dbe1c031124de5c716abb523f09fb16d9a9350bfa36.jpg)
LA Kings 1st Line:
17-18 | Iafallo | Kopitar | Brown |
18-19 | Kovalchuk | Kopitar | Brown |
Upgraded.
With no disrespect directed towards Alex Iafallo, this is a clear upgrade over the LA Kings first line last season. Ilya Kovalchuk is a purebred goal scorer who has, for the next 3 seasons, found a spot on an offensively struggling LA Kings team!
Kovalchuk is the type of player who commands a top 6 spot and can be volatile on the Power Play. The only questioning lingering over him is can he still produce at the NHL level? He’s 35 and has never been an extremely quick skater.
However, what makes up for his skating is the respect defensemen have to give Kovalchuk’s shot. Kovalchuk can fire the puck from anywhere in the offensive zone and it’s a threat. This means the players defending him have to give him space if they hope to block his shots.
Iafallo will get a crack at top six again in his career when he is a bit more matured and we have a distinct idea of what kind of player he is.