Though not going to the playoffs this season, Kopitar has elevated his play during the postseason over the years, with 66 points (21 goals, 45 assists) in 79 games. He tied Brown with a team-high 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) when the Kings won their first Stanley Cup championship in 2012. Kopitar led the team with 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) when the Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2014.
"He's been a good player for a long time, (the) reason they won a couple Cups," Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said. "It seems like as he goes that team goes, and you saw that last year with the amazing year he had."
Kopitar was a Hart Trophy finalist in 2017-18 with an NHL career-high 92 points (35 goals, 57 assists). He won the Selke Trophy, awarded to the League's best defensive forward, last season.
Goalie Jonathan Quick, who was part of the same 2005 draft class as Kopitar, credits the center's calming influence for helping the Kings "play in the moment" during the two title runs.
"He just brings such, like, a calm presence to the locker room and to the ice when you get in those situations, especially high-pressure situations where you're trying to win games to get into the playoffs or win playoff games," Quick said. "He's just so consistent and calm and just does his job. He just knows how to get the job done, right? I guess that's the best thing to say about him."