Kopitar increased his points total by 40, from 52 in 2016-17 to 92 last season (35 goals, 57 assists), the 10th time in 12 seasons he’s led the LA Kings in scoring.
He had 27 power-play points, scored six game-winning goals and took the third-most face-offs in the NHL (1,816), winning 983 (54.1 percent).
Kopitar, who turns 31 on Aug. 24, won the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL and finished third in Hart Trophy voting last season.
Video: Anze Kopitar presented with Selke Trophy
“Everything runs through him in [the Kings zone],” NHL Network’s Mike Johnson said. “Every important face-off, every penalty kill, it all runs through Kopitar. From those kind of numbers, wins the Selke, amongst the League leaders in scoring, he deserves a spot in the Top 10.”
The only centers ranked ahead of Kopitar were Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Connor McDavid.
Full List of #NHLTopPlayers: Top 20 Centers
Kopitar’s bounce-back season helped him jump up seven spots from last year’s ranking.
The NHL Network’s nine-part series continues on Sunday at 4 p.m. with the Top 20 Defensemen in the NHL.
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