Almost all Stanley Cup winning teams have one thing in common, an elite number one center. It's arguably the most coveted player in hockey and what every team dreams of when drafting a center.
In 2005, that's exactly what the Los Angeles Kings got when they drafted Anze Kopitar 11th overall.
Playing pro hockey in Sweden, Kopitar became the first Slovenian ever drafted in the NHL and has exceeded all expectations since.
After a 61 point rookie season where he finished third on the team in scoring, Kopitar would lead the team in scoring for nine straight seasons and has done so in 16 of his 19 seasons with the organization.
Currently sitting on 419 goals (fourth all-time amongst Kings), 792 assists (franchise leader), 1,211 points (second amongst Kings) and a franchise leading 1,373 games played, Kopitar has been more than an elite 1C, he's been a true franchise cornerstone piece.
Amongst the personal accolades, he was also the team's best player during their two Cup runs, leading the team, and the league, in points during the 2012 and 2014 Cup runs. All while being one of the best two-way centers in hockey.
In Kopitar's 19 seasons, few players have been consistently better at his position. Generational talents like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon are the only ones who can definitively claim a spot above Kopitar.
He's not only the Kings best active homegrown player, he's the Kings' best homegrown player of all time.
His career is winding down and he hinted that retirement might be the play after his current contract expires.
If he does hang up the skates in two years, Kopitar will have a strong claim to being the franchises best ever player and has already earned a spot on the franchise's Mount Rushmore.
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