Greatest LA KING of All Time

[StoneHands]

The guy that did this...

8 seasons - 539 games - 246 goals - 672 assists - 918 points (1.70 PPG - 140 point pace)
1 Hart Trophy along with a 2nd and 4th place finish.
3 Art Ross Trophies along with a 2nd and 3rd place finish.
Lead the League in assists 5 times.

 

[Regal]

The guy that did this...

8 seasons - 539 games - 246 goals - 672 assists - 918 points (1.70 PPG - 140 point pace)
1 Hart Trophy along with a 3rd and 4th place finish.
3 Art Ross Trophies along with a 2nd and 3rd place finish.
Lead the League in assists 5 times.

If we take Dionne's best 8 seasons with the Kings, we get:

624 games - 414 goals - 552 assists - 966 points (1.55 PPG - 127 point pace)

2 Pearson Awards.

Hart runner up plus two 3rd place and a 5th place finish.

1 Art Ross trophy plus 3 2nd place scoring finishes.

6 times in the top 5 in scoring.

2 2nd place finishes in goals and 5 top 5 finishes.

Plus he played another 297 games and scored another 341 points.

Gretzky has the higher peak, but he was only really "Gretzky" for the first 3 seasons in LA. I think it's hard to argue Gretzky had more overall value in the regular season. The issue with Dionne is the playoffs, and he never did anything like Gretzky's 40 point run in '93.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Based strictly on what they did in a Kings uni, it's gotta be Kopitar or Doughty. 2 Cups, both playing major minutes, both guys had cases for the Conn Smythe in either Cup run. Kopitar has led the Kings in scoring every season of his career but 2 (maybe 3, going off head) and usually by a significant amount (~20 or more points) while playing all 200 ft. at a Selke level. Doughty has played 25+ minutes a game for much of his career and contributed the same stellar two-way play. BOTH guys are insanely durable.

Not to discount Gretzky or Dionne though. I just think the above--for their Kings legacies--have statues inbound.

Man, if only Dionne had a few more LA years in him to pair with Gretzky!

 

[Legionnaire]

The case for Gretzky lies in the number of new fans he brought in, as well as the growth of the sport in Southern California as a whole.

 

[StoneHands]

If we take Dionne's best 8 seasons with the Kings, we get:

624 games - 414 goals - 552 assists - 966 points (1.55 PPG - 127 point pace)

2 Pearson Awards.

Hart runner up plus two 3rd place and a 5th place finish.

1 Art Ross trophy plus 3 2nd place scoring finishes.

6 times in the top 5 in scoring.

2 2nd place finishes in goals and 5 top 5 finishes.

Plus he played another 297 games and scored another 341 points.

Gretzky has the higher peak, but he was only really "Gretzky" for the first 3 seasons in LA. I think it's hard to argue Gretzky had more overall value in the regular season. The issue with Dionne is the playoffs, and he never did anything like Gretzky's 40 point run in '93.

So if we pick and choose the 8 best season from the 12 seasons Dionne played in LA, Dionne is almost as good as Gretzky.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Gretzky

 

[Regal]

So if we pick and choose the 8 best season from the 12 seasons Dionne played in LA, Dionne is almost as good as Gretzky.

That's kind of a bizarre way to look at it tbh. First, that's 8 of 9 seasons in a row, so if we made it 8 straight, it wouldn't change that much. The idea that Gretzky would be better because Dionne played longer after those 8 years at a lower level makes no sense. Gretzky didn't provide any value outside of those 8 seasons. If two players are roughly even over the same number of years and one retires and the other keeps playing at a lower level, we don't say that the one who retired early is better because they had better averages.

Secondly, the question isn't about who is the better player, it's about the best King, which means that consecutive seasons shouldn't matter. Gretzky was the best King per game, that doesn't make him the best King.

Third, in those 8 seasons, I would argue Dionne brought more overall value (plus 4 more seasons), so no he wasn't "almost as good").

 

[Video Nasty]

The guy that did this...

8 seasons - 539 games - 246 goals - 672 assists - 918 points (1.70 PPG - 140 point pace)
1 Hart Trophy along with a 3rd and 4th place finish.
3 Art Ross Trophies along with a 2nd and 3rd place finish.
Lead the League in assists 5 times.

Gretzky also was Hart runner up in 1990-1991.

Overall, Dionne was a great player and I think he is generally a tad underrated, but I think he loses this battle.

Bad back exiting his prime Gretzky was still a better player and accomplished more as a King than Dionne at an older age and took less time doing it.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

No need to over complicate things, it's Gretzky.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I’m going with Dan Quinn or Petr Klima just because

 

[Jericho111091]

Yutaka Fukufuji, clearly

 

[Voight]

Gretzky has the 168 and 163 point seasons with them. Plus the 40 point playoff on route to the finals. That’s enough for me. Maybe if Dionne had playoff success but he was just like joe Thornton.

Dionne being a poor playoff performer is a myth.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Gretzky always feels like the boring answer, even if it's the correct one.

 

[ted2019]

Marcel Dionne.

 

[EXTRAS]

Voted doughty just cuz he was significant during 2 Stanley Cup teams. Also considered kopitar.

 

[ted2019]

Dionne being a poor playoff performer is a myth.

Agreed. It was basically Dionne and who else can you throw out there with me on most nights. In the 11 full season's Dionne was a King, he lead the team in scoring 9 times. The only 2 years that he didn't, was 1983/84 as he finished 2nd to Bernie Nicholls 95 to 92 points ( Dionne missed 14 games to injury) and in 1985/86 ( finished 2nd again to Nicholls 97 to 94 points) The 9 years he did lead the Kings in scoring, he averaged 24.8 points AHEAD of the 2nd place finisher on the team. Here are the numbers.
19
37
6
39
36
23
11
27
26
It was never Dionne's fault that the Kings didn't have playoff success, it was bad management from the top. He really had no one else that was near his level ( except the Triple Crown line seasons).

 

[Evergreen]

Gretzky
Dionne

Robitaille

Kopitar
Doughty
Quick

 

[John Mandalorian]

Dionne’s time in LA preceded the acquisition of Gretzky. The rationale for the Gretzky trade was to increase the popularity of hockey in LA. If Dionne’s time in LA was so impactful, why the need to bring in Gretzky and break up the Oilers in doing so?

There’s also the slightly less significant issue of branding. The teams colors and uniforms have largely remain unchanged since Gretzky played there. Does anyone remember the imperial margarine logos from Dionne’s time?

It almost seems like the team itself sees the acquisition of Gretzky as a rebirth. So how is it not Gretzky?

 

[SotasicA]

I wanted to go Dionne, but really, it's Doughty. They never won the Cup with Dionne, or were really even that close. So it's basically Kopitar vs Doughty.

Gretzky got the movie stars to attend, and earned relevance to the franchise, but never won the big one.

I also wanted to say Mike Richards because that's who I associate with the 2012 Cup. Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. The 2010 Flyers top line in the Cup final. But really it's Doughty. Kopitar has been great too. But he's only the 2nd best center the franchise has seen (3rd best? I f***ing loved Bernie Nicholls)

 

[Rorschach]

No one would be posting about the Kings or care who was the greatest without Gretzky.

The first Cup was the most important team achievement but it was a team effort. First starting with guys the previous season like Jarret Stoll. Then it was Mike Richards who showed Dustin Brown how a captain should stir the drink for his team in the playoffs. Then guys like Kopitar, Williams and Doughty who controlled the other teams' skaters. Quick with guys like Greene, Mitchell and Scuderi keeping the puck out of the net constantly. Guys like Carter keeping the other team's defense honest.

Gretzky coming to LA not only made the Kings relevant enough to build Staples Center, it gave the NHL a reason to build the entire division around the Kings. Ducks, Sharks...moving teams to the west like Coyotes, Avalanche, Stars...then all the teams starting/moving south like Florida/Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Nashville, Carolina and tons more. The league isn't relevant enough to attract a commissioner like Gary Bettman from the NBA.

No comparison.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Greatest is Doughty.

Best is Gretzky.

 

[Dr Salt]

Gretzky was overall the best though the Kings aren't the first team you think of with him, unless you're a fan which is fair. However, his influence is clearly the most felt.
Dionne is probably their all-time face though the cup alluded him with them. The most important member of that team that cupped was Kopitar, and while prime Doughty and others like Quick were fine players, Kopitar at his peak was arguably a top 5 player in the league.

 

[Buck Naked]

The case for Gretzky lies in the number of new fans he brought in, as well as the growth of the sport in Southern California as a whole.

This.

Only going by numbers, awards etc. I would pick Doughty ahead of Gretzky and Dionne. Leading the team to two Cups weighs heavier than individual awards.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

It’s Gretzky. Only thing against him is the lack of a cup for LA. Thanks there Marty

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Gretzky or Robitaille