Christmas is right around the corner and the Los Angeles Kings are pushing for that top spot in the Pacific Division. It is tough to imagine they would be in this position at the start of the year with plenty of questions at goalie and then losing Drew Doughty in the preseason to an ankle injury.
However, this team has responded well and are playing some of their best hockey right now with an 8-1-1 record. When looking at the start of the 2024-25 season, these are some things the Kings could consider some of their biggest gifts.
Christmas Came Early: Los Angeles Kings biggest gifts of the season
Anze Kopitar
Anze Kopitar has been a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Kings for over a decade now but at 37 years old, he could be playing the best hockey of his career. Through 32 games, he has 10 goals and 27 assists and is averaging over a point per game.
Kopitar's performance during this road trip might be the best stretch of the season yet as he has had two goals, four assists in the five games. If he continues this pace in terms of points, he will finish with around 95 points and that would be a career high.
On top of that, Kopitar has yet to take a penalty and has no penalty minutes. While he has never been a player with many penalties (he had only four in the 2022-23 season), the combination of everything is a big reason for the Kings success. Anze Kopitar has been able to lead by example and even at this point in his career is the best player on the team.