Kings Pacific Showdown Series: Centers

During the Dean Lombardi era, the Kings had two familiar opponents that had strong showings during their championship runs: the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks, the ladder of which dominated the division after the fall of the Vancouver Canucks. Today, the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights have taken over as the primary obstacles for the Kings in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

The Kings are strong at the center position, led by future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar, who is having an impressive 19th season. The 37-year-old has been producing remarkably this year, recording 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 37 games. He boasts a stellar +17 rating and has taken only a single penalty this season. While his shooting percentage of 25% isn't sustainable, his faceoff percentage remains strong, at over 55%. Kopitar is a strong candidate for the Lady Byng Trophy and should be in the running for a third Selke Trophy, especially following Patrice Bergeron's retirement.

The depth behind Kopitar will be crucial for the Kings' success in the postseason. Phillip Danault, now in his fourth season with the Kings, has been valuable defensively, but he is on track for his lowest point total as a King. This decline is mainly due to a significant drop in power-play production. However, the expected production reeling from Danault is somewhat expected as the Kings have finally found an in-house method of enhancing their future center lineup with Quinton Byfield's development. Recently, they failed to do so by sacrificing assets by acquiring Pierre Luc-Dubois. Danault is finally being utilized as the shutdown center he was brought here to be, allowing Byfield to emerge as one of their reliable centers.

Byfield has made significant strides toward becoming the player the Kings envision for their future. He has formed a firm line with Warren Foegele and Tanner Jeannot, effectively generating offense even when not paired with high-end shooters. This line has proven effective at 5-on-5, outscoring opponents 11-1 (according to Natural Stat Trick). In their recent game against Edmonton, this line contributed to all four goals in a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory.

The fourth line, however, remains a bit of a mystery. Trevor Lewis is currently injured, and upon his return, the Kings will likely utilize a full line instead of deploying an 11-7 format. Coach Jim Hiller currently lacks confidence in deploying a full-line combination with Samuel Helenius, Akil Thomas, Andre Lee, and Arthur Kaliyev as options. There are options here at center, as Thomas, Helenius can play center but are yet established enough to cement their hold at the center position.

Trevor Moore's return could significantly impact who the fourth line center will be. If Moore joins the top line alongside Alex Turcotte, who is breaking out next to Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, could be used on the fourth line to rotate at center with Lewis. This rotation could include a larger body like Lee or Helenius on the wing. If this combination works out, the Kings could finally have a somewhat trustworthy fourth line for the first time this season.

Vegas

As it stands, I believe the Vegas Golden Knights still hold a slight edge over the Kings. Jack Eichel remains a top ten center in the league, and despite Kopitar's production at 37 years old, the matchup does not favor him in a hypothetical seven-game series. Like Kopitar, Eichel is a championship-winning 1C, but he is currently in his prime. Behind Eichel, William Karlsson is an excellent center when healthy, having recorded 17 points in 28 games (7 goals, 10 assists, and a +9 rating).

Karlsson has consistently been among the league leaders in faceoff percentages, currently at 59.1%. He will likely match up against the opposing team's top center, allowing Eichel to exploit the weaker competition. This scenario could set up a matchup between Danault and Eichel, while the Kopitar line could face Karlsson or vice versa. On the road, the Knights will have complete control over these matchups.

In terms of depth, Byfield and Lewis-Turcotte may find favorable matchups against the Knights' depth centers, Brett Howden and Cole Schwindt. The way Byfield has been trending gives me confidence that his line could outmatch these two, even though both are capable depth centers. However, what's concerning is that Vegas can deploy Tomas Hertl as a center, which could pose problems for the Kings.

Edmonton

Historically, the Kings have struggled against the Oilers primarily because of the dominant duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Like most teams in the league, the Kings face the daunting task of matching up against these two superstars.

Predicting the bottom matchups is challenging between these two teams, especially considering the small sample size from the Kings opting for an 11-7 lineup in their 4-3 in overtime victory in their lone matchup against the Oilers this season. In that game, the Byfield line dominated the Adam Henrique line, which is designated as their fourth line.

However, the Oilers can be unpredictable, mainly since their third-line center, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, is serviceable at wing. They often make significant mid-game adjustments more frequently than most NHL teams, meaning Nugent-Hopkins could end up playing on the wing or a potent combination of Draisaitl and McDavid on the same line as a potential nightmare for the Kings. Finding a viable solution to counter that duo will be difficult unless the Kings continue with the 11-7 formation into the playoffs.

The success of Byfield's line may elect the Oilers to keep their top two centers separated, which would be a significant challenge for the Byfield line to maintain and improve on their performance into the second half of the season. With Byfield's progression the Kings have come closer than ever to matching up against their potential Pacific Division playoff rivals during the Rob Blake era.

However, they still find themselves on the wrong side of those matchups, albeit narrowly. Ultimately, the Kings' success hinges on Byfield's performance down the stretch and how their fourth line adapts once the roster is fully intact.