Nick Jehamy | January 23rd, 2020
We have hit 2020 and with the turn of the new decade, we here at The Scorecrow are putting together our All-Decade teams for each franchise. So who made the All-Decade team for the Los Angeles Kings? Let’s take a look.
The All-Decade team consists of a full team of skaters; four forward lines, three defensive lines, and two goaltenders. My criteria for choosing who made the team is a mixture of historical significance and statistical performance.
*The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014
Forwards
First Line
Anze Kopitar, Center, 2006-Present
Kopitar is one of the all-time greats for the Kings franchise. He ranks fourth in goals, assists, and points in Kings’ franchise history. Over the last decade, Kopitar has three all-star game appearances, two Stanley Cups, winner of two Frank J. Selke trophies and winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
Tanner Pearson, Left Wing, 2013-2019
Pearson was a critical factor in the Kings 2014 Stanley Cup run. Through the decade. Pearson leads all at his position with 144 points and a plus-minus of 34 over his six seasons with the team.
Dustin Brown, Right Wing, 2003-Present
No one has played more years with the Kings franchise than Brown. 16 seasons later he is still on pace to put up a 20-20 season. Eight-year captain for the franchise, he was arguably the reason for the Kings’ 2012 Stanley Cup run as he led the team in goals, assists, points, plus-minus, and game-winning goals that postseason. Through the decade Brwon produced 47 points for the Kings in the playoffs alone. He was also the winner of the Mark Messier Award in 2014.
Second Line
Jeff Carter, Center, 2011-Present
Carter has been a staple to the Kings roster throughout the decade since he joined the team in 2011. He has been a part of both cup winning teams and has produced three 60+ point seasons. He has shot a career best 11.7% for the Kings and has stepped up his game even further in the playoffs over the decade.
Dwight King, Left Wing, 2010-2017
King played seven seasons in Los Angeles where he produced 108 points in addition to 25 points in the playoffs. He was a part of both of the franchise’s cup winning teams this decade and showed up when they needed him in crucial postseason moments.
Justin Williams, Right Wing, 2008-2015
Like King, Williams played seven seasons with the franchise. But Williams produced more than double the points, 266 in his tenure with the team. If it wasn’t for Brown’s overall impact as a leader and overall longevity with the team, Williams easily is deserving of the first line with the numbers he has produced but he will take the second line here behind Brown. Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2014 while with the Kings.
Third Line
Tyler Toffoli, Center, 2012-Present
Toffoli led the league in plus-minus in 2015 with +35. His career plus-minus with the Kings is +79, having only one negative season. He may be on the third line but that is only because the Kings have two very strong centers ahead of him. Toffoli scored the fourth most goals this decade with 133, adding 150 assists on top of that.
Kyle Clifford, Left Wing, 2010-Present
Clifford doesn’t stuff the stat sheet but he has been a solid player for the Kings and has been around all decade, starting with the team in 2010 and currently ten years later on pace for his best season statistically. Clifford gets a bump on this list on longevity with the team.
Marian Gaborik, Right Wing, 2013-2018
The veteran Gaborik was a solid asset to the Kings roster. During the 2014 cup run, Gaborik led the team in goals scored with 14, 11 of them being even-strength goals.
Fourth Line
Jarret Stoll, Center, 2008-2015
Stoll was a part of both cup teams through the first half of the decade, providing solid depth for the franchise in his time there. His two strongest seasons were at the start of the decade before fading off a bit at the end of his tenure with the team.
Ryan Smyth, Left Wing, 2009-2011
Unlike the rest at his position on this list, Smyth was an offensive machine. If he played more than two seasons with the team he would have jumped higher here. Through two seasons Smyth scored 45 goals and 55 assists for the Kings. He doesn’t have the longevity as the rest but made a big impact in a short period of time.
Wayne Simmonds, Right Wing, 2008-2011
This last spot was tough because there weren’t many deserving of it over the others. Simmonds is known for his time with the Philadelphia Flyers but he started the decade with the Kings. In his short time played this decade he produced 70 points for the team.
Defenseman
First Line
Drew Doughty, 2008-Present
No one has played more time on the ice in Kings’ history as Doughty has. He has averaged over 26 minutes per game this decade and 28 minutes in the playoffs. His two best playoffs were both the cup winning seasons where he produced 16 and 18 points for the team. Doughty was selected for five all-star games and won the James Morris Memorial Trophy in 2016. Doughty has also led the league in defensive point shares on three different occasions this decade.
Jake Muzzin, 2010-2019
Muzzin proved himself to be a great offensive contributor as a defender over the past decade. The pair of Muzzin and Doughty on the same line started in 2014 and has been one of the most consistent parts of the Kings roster ever since. It was only right to put him up here on the first like with Doughty.
Second Line
Alec Martinez, 2009-Present
Martinez is up there with Muzzin offensively, in the top three point leading defenders for the past decade with 196. Martinez’s impact to the decade can be centralized to his 2014 playoff performance. Martinez scored the game-winning goal in game seven of the conference finals as well as the overtime game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final sealing the Kings victory.
Rob Scuderi, 2009-2013
Before Muzzin, Scuderi was lined up side by side with Doughty. Unlike the first three defenders mentioned, he wasn’t as strong of an offensive influence. He only missed nine games during his time with the Kings and was consistently a defensive stalwart for the franchise during his short time.
Third Line
Matt Greene, 2009-2017
A great penalty killer who has been a reliable source of depth for the franchise for nine seasons, playing on both of the franchise’s cup winning teams.
Jack Johnson, 2006-2012
Johnson’s two and a half seasons this decade with the Kings were the best of Johnson’s career where he produced 100 points for the club and averaging 22 minutes per game.
Goaltenders
Jonathan Quick, 2008-Present
Two William M. Jennings trophies, one Conn Smythe Trophy, two all-star game appearances, five seasons in the top ten in the league in saves and top five in shutouts. The accolades and numbers are all there showing that Quick was one of the best goalies this decade arguably in the league. He is the greatest goaltender in Kings’ franchise history.
Peter Budaj, 2015-2017 + 2018-2019
Behind Quick were many solid goaltenders. Budaj takes the backup position here by having the next most wins over the past decade and a solid 2.22 goals-against average.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few honorable mentions of players at each position group that just missed out on making the Kings All-Decade team.
Jonathan Bernier, Goaltender, 2007-2013
Mike Richards, Center, 2011-2015
Willie Mitchell, Defenseman, 2010-2012 + 2013-2014
Bernier has the next most wins over the past decade for the team after Budaj, having one more win as a King in his career than Budaj. Richards played four seasons for the franchise where he produced a very solid 133 points. If he didn’t play at such a desirable position for the franchise he would have made the list over a few at the tail end of the wing positions. Mitchell was a close call at the end of our defensive lines, he was a very underrated player who had a few great seasons with the team, sadly though it wasn’t enough of an impact to break into the team.
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