Anze it Isn't So!! Kopi Should Go???

I know, I know, this is blasphemy, right?! Kings lose in Carolina on the second day of a back-to-back 2-1, and their sole goal is scored by one Anze Kopitar, and yet he's the problem?! Please try to understand I am not questioning his skills, which are clearly at the elite level, I am only questioning his speed. He has never been a strong skater, so it is not like it is something new. However, this team is now full of strong skaters, especially in the top two forward lines besides two guys: Penner and Kopitar. Justin Williams, Jarret Stoll, Dustin Brown and Mike Richards all possess at minimum above average NHL speed. Now granted, those four players do not have the size that both Dustin Penner and Anze Kopitar possess, but what is size if it is not utilized? As far as I am concerned, Kopitar only uses his size to his advantage during puck possession, which is usually down behind the net against the boards. If you disagree, ask yourself, when was the last time Kopi made you jump out of your seat after a check? As a loyal fan for multiple years, I honestly cannot think of even one. Between the ears, or as the purists say, Kopitar's "hockey sense" is at an elite level and there is no denying that. Despite his lack of speed, he is still able to be an effective two-way player due to those great instincts instilled throughout his life by his childhood coach, his father. Yet, with all that said, where does this team stand? 30th in the league in goals for, something needs to be done to ensure a playoff berth, and after the Richards deal, there isn't much organizationally to acquire the necessary talent to correct the clear cut achilles heel of the Los Angeles Kings.

The purpose here is not to find out who is keeping the Kings back, yet to determine who would yield the greatest prize in an exchange. My argument is that Kopi, with his great skills and young age (24), would easily be Los Angeles' best trade option out there, every general manager would listen to a conversation if it started with Kopitar. Couple that with the influx of speed on the front lines, if two new quality scoring options with quick feet were to come back in exchange, I only see positive. The best option may not be too foreign to newly-hired head coach Darryl Sutter, the Calagry Flames.

Calgary has not had the type of year they anticipated, and have even made it public that they are mulling over moving their captain Jerome Iginla. At 35 years of age, Iginla may not be significantly quicker than Kopitar in a couple years, but even with a decade on him, Iginla is the stronger skater right now and that is simply not debatable. Beyond that, if numbers are any indication, he would immeadiately improve the Kings' scoring ability, Iginla has not scored less than 30 goals in any one season since last millennium, and has eclipsed the 40 goal marker four times in his career, including last season. All this sounds great, but we are not done yet. There is no way, especially when you look at age, that this would be a one-for-one type of deal. At least one other impact player, whether it be an immeadiate guy or perhaps a quality prospect like a Ryan Howse or Lance Bouma, would surely come along with the aging yet still effective Iginla in exchange for Anze. For immeadiate impact, Rene Bourque comes to mind, as well as Alex Tanguay and Michael Cammalleri. Maybe I am dreaming, but perhaps Jay Bouwmeester could be courted as well, although surely the Kings would have to add talent in some shape or form in order to acquire both Jerome and Jay. Acquiring Iginla would allow to Kings to have their top two lines led by savy veterans, Mike Richards and Iginla. Personally, I see Jerome, Jarrett Stoll and Dustin Brown working very well together, but really any combo of this newly formed top six would certainly be exciting to watch, in particular if Cammalleri were to return to Los Angeles. Other squads across the league would surely struggle to keep up with this newly formed Kings attack.

Although I certainly view Calagry as the best option in this type of venture, there certainly are others. Whether it be a call to the nation's capital about a deal centered around Alex Semin or Nickali Backstrom. A text to Long Island inquiring about John Tavares or Matt Moulson, or a few other options, it definitely seems like something worth exploring. Whether it be dealing Kopitar or young talent like Andrei Loktionov, there is no denying something needs to be done in Los Angeles in order to become a true Cup contender.