Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Kings are in the midst of a phenomenal 2023-24 National Hockey League campaign. After back-to-back first-round exits — both at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers — the Kings have looked motivated to not let that happen again. LA is 20-8-4, fourth place in the Western Conference, and looking like a true Stanley Cup contender through nearly the first half of the season.
There have been a few key things factoring into the team's success this year. The first and most obvious is the defensive side of the puck. The Kings are giving up just 2.34 goals per game, good enough for first place in the National Hockey League. LA is officially the hardest team to score on in the league, and they do a great job of funnelling pucks to the outside and breaking out of the zone cleanly.
But huge credit must be given to Cam Talbot, who is in the midst of a true resurgent campaign between the pipes. The former Hamilton Red Wings has won 14 of his 23 starts, and played to a sparkling 2.11 goals-against average and .924 save percentage, both well above his career marks. Talbot was an NHL All-Star a couple of years ago, and should be again for the festivities in Toronto.
Cam Talbot should absolutely be an All-Star
Although there are a few excellent goalies in the Pacific Division — Thatcher Demko and Adin Hill immediately come to mind — Talbot has made an excellent case to be included in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game north of the border. Besides his fantastic numbers, he's doing it at the age of 36, on a one-year contract that is paying him just $1 million this season.
Talbot was a complete wildcard when he joined Los Angeles, and he's looking like one of the league's premier tendies in 2023-24. While Demko figures to be a shoo-in for the ASG, Hill likely isn't due to his recent injury woes, and Talbot has a much better case than a player like Jacob Markstrom, John Gibson or even Stuart Skinner. His outright case is probably better than either Demko's or Hill's, too.
If Talbot hadn't been selected before — he participated in the 2022 ASG in Paradise, Nevada as a member of the Minnesota Wild — he would be almost a lock. The NHL loves to get new players involved, which is the only thing that hurts this goaltender's case. Still, it would be shocking if Talbot wasn't one of the Pacific Division starters come February.
Kings have a plethora of All-Star candidates
There's a great chance that LA is one of the teams that sends both a goaltender and a skater to the 2024 ASG, and that's mainly because of the excellent seasons a lot of the Kings' forwards are having. Adrian Kempe, who is in the midst of the best season of his career, has scored 11 goals and 31 points in 32 games. He's on pace to flirt with a point-per-game clip for the first time ever. The 27-year-old represented the Kings at the 2022 All-Star Game — the same one Talbot was at — and is an option to do so again.
Kevin Fiala is also having an excellent year, scoring 30 points in 32 games. Trevor Moore has turned into a sniper, and he's been good for 17 goals and 26 points in 32 contests. Quinton Byfield has 25 points while playing on the first line and top powerplay unit in a breakout season. Phillip Danault has potted 20 points. And two-time Stanley Cup champion Drew Doughty has been excellent on the back end, while chipping in 18 points of his own. The list goes on.
Clearly, there will be no easy choices when it comes to selecting All-Stars from the LA Kings. But it's a good problem to have. Still, it would make sense for the team to send one of the best players in franchise history, and expect Anze Kopitar to get his sixth All-Star nod in February.
Anze Kopitar well deserving of a sixth All-Star appearance
At age-36, captain Kopitar continues to impress. The best Slovenian player of all time is also still the best player on the Kings. He's leading the team with 33 points — 14 of them goals — in 32 games. He's on track to eclipse a point-per-game pace for the first time since scoring 92 in 82 back in 2017-18.
Anze Kopitar has won two Stanley Cups and has nothing else to prove. But the way he was playing, you wouldn't think so. He looks desperate to bring another championship to California, in true captain fashion. Kopitar has been involved in All-Star festivities in 2008, 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2020, and the weekend is always better with him there.
Those factors, as well as the fact that the future Hall of Famer probably only has a few seasons left, means Kopitar figures to be a shoo-in for February's festivities. There's a very good chance that both he and Cam Talbot will be flying north of the border to represent the Kings in Toronto, and they're the two most deserving players of All-Star recognition on the team.
