he has zero meaness. Brown as captain had one of the most unrelenting forechecking group in the NHL. I know a lot of that has to do with the players and all but it’s also no surprise that this is one of the softest teams in the NHL under Kopitar. Captains lead by example and players emulate it to an extent.
Kopitar doesn’t have to throw down but throwing a big hit like McDavid does that sets a tone goes a long way. Kopitar is a great player but far from being a great captain. League wide respect for being a great two way player and clean for his duration. A great player doesn’t necessarily make a great captain. Brown wasn’t a great player but theres also many who will say that Brown is a better captain than Kopitar. Nothing to do with skills. Brown single handedly killed Roszival and won the the series next shift because the Coyotes were completely mentally broken by that point.
I don't disagree. But he still plays a very hard game. The league recognizes him as a very difficult player to match up against.
That perseverance and composure are also important qualities. Other players could add big hits and fights.
Lombardi's line of "every team has a couple criminals" means more than "you need people to do the dirty work." It means varying people bring different elements to successful teams.
I think we can agree that Blake has, on multiple occasions, failed to recognize or address the pulse of the team. If the Kings had 17 MacDermids and 1 Kopitar as captain, the MacDermids would still be playing with their nuts swinging. Kopitar doesn't neuter the team just because he refuses to fight or lay out a big hit that potentially causes injury.
Blake just hasn't brought in much to add to it. There's Englund, who fights but has the turning radius of a bus. Kempe will get chippy when pissed, as will Fiala (who sometimes effectively throws reverse hits, too). PLD will swing his play with the ferocity of the sloth from Zootopia. Anderson has been a bit subdued since his concussion. Doughty runs his mouth. Byfield will get in some faces, but he has highs and lows in confidence.
These are players who also contribute to the team attitude. If the Kings had, say, Matthew Tkachuck as captain, the Kings would still need a player like Kopitar to keep the team on an even emotional keel and to play with persistent commitment to a complete game to supplement the leadership.
The roster construction and culture has been developed by Blake. Not Kopitar. That distinction is important.
