LA Kings: Who stood out the most among the LA Kings rookies?
The LA Kings played several rookies in the lineup this season, but which one was the best?
Awards week here at Rink Royalty rolls on, and this time we decide who the best rookie was for the LA Kings this season. The Los Angeles media recently awarded Mikey Anderson the Mark Bavis Memorial Award for Best Newcomer. No doubt Anderson is certainly deserving of the award, but will he win our best rookie award? To clarify, here are the official criteria that define what a rookie is per the NHL:
To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered to be a rookie.
With these criteria in mind, someone like Andreas Athanasiou would qualify as a “newcomer,” but certainly not a rookie. For the context of this article, we will be sticking with the players on the Kings who qualify as rookies under the NHL’s definition of the term. So without further ado, here are our nominees for the LA Kings’ best rookie.
Nominee No. 1: Gabe Vilardi
Expectations were high coming into this season for Gabe Vilardi.
The 2017 first-round draft pick of the LA Kings burst onto the scene at the end of last season, scoring a goal on his first shot in his first NHL game. In ten games played in the 2019-20 season, Vilardi scored a total of three goals and four assists, and the future looked bright.
Going into this season, the 21-year-old was penciled in as the Kings’ second-line center. This season would prove to be challenging for the youngster, however, as he struggled offensively and in the faceoff dot. Head coach Todd McLellan would move him down the lineup, temporarily move him to the wing, and even healthy-scratched Vilardi for two games.
Despite the struggles, Vilardi picked his play up in the last few weeks of the season. He seemed to develop chemistry with Lias Andersson and looked much more comfortable. The deft passing that he is known for was back, and Vilardi even began to shoot the puck more – showing off his underrated laser-like wrist shot, which many LA Kings fans want to see more of.
Even with all the challenges of this season, Gabe Vilardi still tied for sixth on the Kings’ overall scoring list with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points.
Nominee No. 2: Mikey Anderson
Mikey Anderson entered the 2020-21 season expected to be a depth player for the LA Kings defense. Never known as a flashy offensive player, Anderson’s calling card is strong defensive play and leadership skills. This season was supposed to be a “learn the ropes” type of season for the 21-year-old defenseman.
That all changed when it became apparent that Olli Maatta, who was acquired to be Drew Doughty‘s defensive partner, was not working out in that role. Anderson was thrust into the first defensive pairing in a “trial by fire” situation, and he certainly responded.
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Sure, there were occasional struggles, as happens with most rookies, but Anderson’s play got stronger as the season wore on. His steady play helped Doughty return to form as an elite NHL defenseman, and being Doughty’s partner meant Anderson would get a lot of ice time. He averaged 21:11 per game this season.
A further testament to Anderson’s strong defensive play is that he tied for the LA Kings’ lead this season in plus-minus. He was one of only two Kings that was not in the negative in this category, which is astounding given Anderson’s situation.
Nominee No. 3: Jaret Anderson-Dolan
Center Jaret Anderson-Dolan started this season on the LA Kings taxi squad, but he took advantage of it when he got his chance to play. He slotted in as the center of the third line with Trevor Moore and Carl Grundstrom, and the trio clicked right away. Anderson-Dolan particularly excelled, putting up three goals and two assists in only six games.
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As fate would have it, the 21-year-old rookie would suffer an upper-body injury that required him to miss the next twelve games. Anderson-Dolan would return to the lineup, but his momentum from his hot start offensively was slowed. In 34 total games played, he would end up with seven goals and four assists for a total of 11 points.
Even with the ups and downs of his rookie season, Anderson-Dolan has shown he can be an effective NHL player. He will be a solid part of the Kings bottom-six group of forwards and could potentially see spot duty in the top six. It will be interesting to see what Anderson-Dolan can do with a full season of games played under his belt.
The winner is…Mikey Anderson
There was preseason talk of Gabe Vilardi being a potential Calder Trophy candidate as the NHL Rookie of the Year, and I still think Vilardi will be a top-six NHL forward for years to come. Still, the LA Kings best rookie this season was Mikey Anderson.
It is difficult for most rookie defensemen to adjust to the NHL, let alone play on the top pair, but Anderson handled it better than anyone in the organization could have hoped for. The Kings have been looking for a consistent partner for Drew Doughty since they traded Jake Muzzin, and they just may have found him this season.
The LA Kings might have had a disappointing season in the standings, but the play of these rookies certainly gives the team and its fans hope for the future. It’s looking like 2017 was a good year for the Kings, as all three of these players came from that year’s draft class.