NHL EDGE stats behind Kopitar’s Kings points record

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we break down the advanced stats behind Anze Kopitar breaking the Los Angeles Kings’ all-time points record.

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Anze Kopitar has surpassed Marcel Dionne for the most career points in Los Angeles Kings history, and the underlying metrics behind his strong two-way game have kept them in the Stanley Cup Playoff race.

With two goals on five shots on goal against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Kopitar (1,308 points in 1,505 games) eclipsed Dionne’s mark (1,307 in 921 games from 1975-87), which stood for more than 45 years. Kopitar, who was the 11th pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, has played his entire 20-season career with Los Angeles and won two Stanley Cup championships with the franchise in 2012 and 2014.

After the game in which Kopitar broke the franchise scoring record, the Kings were one point behind the San Jose Sharks for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Kopitar, who’s 38 years old and has already announced he will retire after this season, has 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 51 games this season. Kopitar has nine 70-point seasons in his career, including two seasons with more than 80 (92 in 2017-18; 81 in 2009-10), and also 14 career 20-goal seasons (most in Kings history).

Kopitar has led the Kings in points 15 times (most recently in 2022-23), tied with Sidney Crosby (15 times with Pittsburgh Penguins) for the second-most seasons as points leader for one franchise in NHL history, behind only Gordie Howe (17 times with Detroit Red Wings). Known as one of the League’s top playmakers, Kopitar ranks in the top five among active players in both assists (858; fourth) and primary assists (493; fifth).

The Kings have remained in postseason contention despite making a coaching change (from Jim Hiller to D.J. Smith) on March 1; Los Angeles acquired elite left wing Artemi Panarin on Feb. 4, just prior to the Olympics break, and Kopitar has been playing with Panarin and longtime linemate Adrian Kempe on the top line. But the Kings lost Kevin Fiala, one of its top forwards, to a season-ending injury sustained in the Olympics.

Here are three underlying reasons behind Kopitar’s continued success:

1. Skating distance

Kopitar has always shouldered a heavy workload over the years and continues to rank among the single-game forward leaders in skating distance this season. Kopitar, who has been limited to 51 of Los Angeles’ 66 games this season, ranks in the 90th percentile among forwards in miles skated in a single game (3.92) and miles skated in a single period (1.49).

Because of his ability to play in all three situations (even strength, power play and penalty kill), Kopitar has ranked in the 97th percentile or higher among forwards in total skating distance in each previous season during the NHL EDGE tracking era (since 2021-22):

• 2024-25: 259.06 (97th percentile)
• 2023-24: 259.48 (97th percentile)
• 2022-23: 262.49 (98th percentile)
• 2021-22: 281.98 (99th percentile; third at position)

2. Offensive zone time percentage

Kopitar ranks in the 96th percentile among forwards in power-play offensive zone time (63.7) this season. He also ranked highly in that same category in 2021-22 (61.7; 92nd percentile at the position).

Kopitar’s two-way prowess still has a ripple effect on the Kings’ team identity as a possession juggernaut; they are tied for sixth in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage this season (52.2). Kopitar has a plus-18 shot attempts differential at 5-on-5 this season and leads Kings forwards in blocked shots this season (46). Kopitar is one of 11 players in the NHL this season with at least 30 points and 45 blocks despite averaging fewer than 19:00 per game (18:47).

3. Shots by location

Even with Kopitar being in the later stages of his career with the Kings offense struggling in terms of goals per game (2.61; tied for third worst) and power-play percentage (16.8; tied for sixth worst), he has remained above the League’s forward average in high-danger offense.

Kopitar ranks in the 66th percentile in high-danger goals (seven) and 64th percentile in high-danger shots on goal (34). Kopitar’s best total in high-danger goals of the NHL EDGE tracking era (since 2021-22) came in 2022-23, when he ranked in the 95th percentile among forwards with 19 high-danger goals.

For a franchise that had all-time greats like Wayne Gretzky, Dionne, Luc Robitaille, Drew Doughty and others, Kopitar’s career consistency and all-around efforts have him at the top of the Kings’ scoring list. Kopitar’s impact has stood the test of time and has him finishing his career strong for a team that can still put forth another postseason run in the up-for-grabs Pacific Division.