The Los Angeles Kings lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout on Thursday night. They are in a playoff push, hoping to send off a franchise legend with a playoff run. Kings captain Anze Kopitar is retiring at the end of the season, and he recently set the franchise record for career points. The Crypto.com Arena fans welcomed Kopitar back from a road trip with an epic salute.

Later in the game, Kopitar scored a goal, bringing his career point total to 1,310. He is one of 39 players in NHL history with over 1,300 points, and he has two Selke Trophies in his closet as the best defensive forward. Add on his role in both Kings Stanley Cups, and he is a surefire Hall of Famer.

The Kings made one of the most significant trades of the season, bringing in Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers. They immediately gave him a two-year extension, using some of the money that Kopitar's retirement is freeing up. With Panarin and Kopitar, they should be making a push for the playoffs.

Article Continues Below

But things have not gone well for the Kings recently. They are 5-5-2 since the Olympic break, which coincides with Panarin's arrival. The one point they got from Thursday night's game slid them into the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, just one point ahead of the Seattle Kraken.

Kopitar is a Kings legend who deserves a statue outside the arena alongside Magic Johnson and Dustin Brown. The future of the organization is likely in the hands of Quinton Byfield, the former second-overall pick who is putting together a 200-foot game reminiscent of Kopitar's prime. But he has a long way to go to enter the pantheon of Number 11, who is arguably the greatest Kings player of all time.

The Kings are back in action on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.