3 Los Angeles Kings Who Will Regress In 2024-25

The Los Angeles Kings made some sideways moves and will likely be a bubble playoff team again. While they have some good young pieces, there are some long-time veterans, who with age, are progressively regressing slowly.

Anze Kopitar

Captain Anze Kopitar finished third on the team in scoring and has hovered right around 70 points for three seasons. He has some solid players on his wings, but is also 37 years old now. Last season he scored the most goals on the power play that he has since 2013-14, so that is bound to go down again. Kopitar went from 28 goals and 74 points in 2021-22 to 26 goals and 70 points last season. It's likely to drop just a little more.

Drew Doughty

Just like Kopitar, Drew Doughty is getting older and is bound to regress soon. He scored 15 goals last season for the Kings, the most he's scored since 2009-10 when he was 20 years old. His ice time is slowly going to creep down and it will be tough for him to put up another 50-point season at age 35 with Brandt Clarke breathing down his neck.

David Rittich

David Rittich was a saviour for the Kings last season by coming in and starting 22 games while giving the team a great chance to win every night. Before going 13-6-3 with a 2.15 GAA, .921 SV%, and three shutouts last season, he played for four different teams over the three seasons prior, only starting 45 games and recording a 2.99 GAA, .896 SV% and one shutouts. It was an anomaly last season by Rittich and it will be extremely difficult for him to replicate those numbers, especially with a strong defensive presence in Matt Roy now on a different team.