Who was the LA Kings MVP for this season?
It’s LA Kings awards time here at Rink Royalty! Might as well come out swinging and name the team’s MVP first.
The LA Kings finished the 2021 NHL season with a 21-28-7 record, good for 49 points and sixth place in the Honda West Division. The team did not make the playoffs, and yes, there are needs that will hopefully be addressed in the offseason – but there are still reasons for optimism as well.
The Kings were able to integrate young defensemen Mikey Anderson and later Tobias Bjornfot into the lineup. Anderson, in particular, showed he is a legitimate NHL defenseman. He was Drew Doughty‘s partner for most of the season, and even though he struggled at first, he really found his stride by the end of the year.
The NHL playoff format was modified for this season so that the top four teams in each division make the postseason. The LA Kings were not expected to be playoff contenders this season, but they managed to stay in the hunt until the last month of the year. Buoyed by a six-game win streak in February, the team showed flashes that brighter days lie ahead.
So who is the 2021 MVP for the LA Kings? Read on to find out.
Nominee number one: Anze Kopitar
As usual, the captain of the LA Kings had an excellent season.
The 33-year-old center far and away led the Kings in scoring this season with a stat line of 13 goals and 37 assists for a total of 50 points. The mainstay number one center for the team, he once again showed his durability by playing in all 56 games while averaging 21:11 of time on ice. Despite all of his playing time, Kopitar only took ten minutes in penalties.
What makes Anze Kopitar so special is he can do anything that is asked of him. Need a big goal? He’s your man. Need a big penalty kill? Put Kopitar out there. Anze has been the “do anything the team needs” guy since he arrived in LA over a decade ago.
light. Related Story. Walker: “Unbelievable” to be on the Ice with Anze Kopitar
The LA Kings are loaded with prospects at the center position, and it will be a strength for the team in the very near future. However, this season was in flux for long stretches of the season except for on the first line, where Kopitar has been the one constant. As Quinton Byfield, Gabe Vilardi, Alex Turcotte, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan continue their development, Kopitar will mentor the youngsters while being an anchor for the team.
To illustrate his career of excellence, Kopitar scored his 1,000th NHL point this year, his 15th season in the NHL.
Nominee number two: Drew Doughty
Some said Drew Doughty was past his prime.
During the preseason, TSN had a segment looking at a potential Canadian ice hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Doughty was not on it. The omission seemed to light a fire under him, as Doughty, like he always does, did not hold back when expressing his disappointment with being left off the team.
Instead of pouting, however, Drew Doughty went out and had his best season since 2017-18, when he finished second in the Norris Trophy voting. In 56 games played this season, Doughty put up eight goals and 26 assists while logging an incredible 26:23 average time on ice. Making this even more impressive is that he did this while being paired with rookie Mikey Anderson for most of the season.
This season, Doughty also showed he has matured into a genuine team leader for the LA Kings. Always an emotional player, he is now able to keep his temper in check – a welcome change from the Drew Doughty who used to “fly off the handle” and take unnecessary penalties. Doughty now wears an “A” on his sweater and has become someone the younger players can look up to.
Nominee number three: Matt Roy
Wait, what?
You read that correctly folks, Matt Roy is the real deal, and the LA Kings know it. So much so that they rewarded the 26-year-old defenseman with a brand new three-year contract worth just over nine million dollars.
Matt Roy will not blow anyone away with offensive numbers. For this season, he only had two goals and eight assists. No one will mistake him for Bobby Orr, but Matt Roy has become an indispensable part of the LA Kings blue line. Matt Roy’s strength is his strong defensive play, exemplified by the fact that he tied for the team lead in +/- this season.
Roy on LA Kings’ Masterton Nomination: It’s an Honor. light. Related Story
A case in point would be when Roy was injured in a January 28th game versus the Minnesota Wild, leaving a gaping hole in the LA defense. He would miss approximately three weeks, during which time the LA Kings went on a four-game losing streak. Granted, Roy’s injury wasn’t the only reason for the tailspin, as fellow defenseman Sean Walker was injured in the same game, but without “Steady Eddie’s” steadying presence, the defense looked lost.
Not too shabby for a seventh-round draft pick.
The MVP of the 2021 season for the LA Kings is Drew Doughty.
Anze Kopitar had another great season, and Matt Roy has proven just how valuable he is to the LA Kings, but the award has to go to Doughty. The thirty-one-year-old defenseman has overcome the perception that he is no longer an elite defenseman and has re-established himself as one of the league’s best.
Although he generally keeps his emotions check nowadays, he is still a player who will “tell it like it is,” good or bad. Doughty is now a veteran mentor to the young defensemen on the LA Kings and all of their young players in general. If Anze Kopitar is the soul of the team, Drew Doughty is beyond a shadow of a doubt the heartbeat of the Kings.
Next. TSN says Byfield is a non-starter in Jack Eichel trade. dark
Now that Drew Doughty is back in the top tier of NHL defensemen, expect him to continue to be a leader on the LA Kings for the immediate future.