Dustin Brown will certainly be a Los Angeles Kings player with a point to prove this season, having seen his captaincy removed and placed in the hands of fellow forward, Anze Kopitar.
In an interview with CBC, the 31-year old winger stated that he wasn’t going to say it’s rosy, when asked about his relationship with the Los Angeles Kings management hierarchy.
This is a player only two seasons removed from being awarded the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award – not quite the kind of player you expect to see have the captaincy taken from him.
The removal of the ‘C’ from his jersey could allow Brown to play with greater freedom, relieved of the burden of leading the team. Equally, it could have a detrimental effect; it could upset his game when not seen as the leader.
It’s unlikely he’ll be stepping aside from a leadership role completely, especially in the locker room with several young players now arriving in there alongside the older Los Angeles Kings core.
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Statistically speaking, Brown is on a downward trend. The past few seasons have seen production that piqued at 60 points in the 2007-08 season drop to just 28 points across 82 games the past regular season.
It’d be safe to assume that the Los Angeles Kings wouldn’t mind removing the burden of Brown’s contract, which doesn’t expire until the 2021-22 season at a cap hit of $5.875 million a year.
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For them to manage this, it’s going to require Dustin Brown to reach his previous highs; he needs to be utilised as a top-six player and not get stuck on the third line as he has in recent years.
The Los Angeles Kings can ask questions as to whether Brown can usurp the first and second line guys or whether he can pick up time on special teams. This is more likely the reasoning behind the management decision on the ‘C’.
Dustin Brown has to prove he is still worth the money the Los Angeles Kings are paying him. Not that there’s likely to be options for the team otherwise. Brown is locked into a contract that gives them little room to manoeuvre.
If Brown can even get back to half the level he was at when initially signed to such long terms, the Los Angeles Kings will be a very happy team. If not, his contract will prove difficult to move and Brown will no doubt cut an even more sullen figure than the one we expect, given his lost leadership role.
It’s likely to be an important season for Dustin Brown certainly in terms of re-finding his game. After all, this is a two-time Stanley Cup winning captain with the Los Angeles Kings no less.
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