Los Angeles Kings' Player Evaluations

[Coach Selly]

Slava Voynov

This season: 54 games, 8 goals, 12 assists, plus-12 rating.

The good: Voynov got assigned to the AHL at the end of preseason and again in early February, but not because of any dissatisfaction on the Kings’ end. The Kings simply had a full complement of healthy defensemen at those times. They knew that when they called upon Voynov, he would be ready, and they were correct. For a 22-year-old defenseman with no prior NHL experience, Voynov did a fantastic job. He played big minutes and contributed on the power play. His skating, passing and accurate shot made him a solid complement to Willie Mitchell, and Voynov maintained a high level during the playoffs.

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[Coach Selly]

Kevin Westgarth

This year: 25 games, 1 goal, one assist, minus-3 rating.

The good: Westgarth has no illusions about his role on the team. Although he’d like to play more — anyone in his situation would — Westgarth understands that his role on the team is subject to the whims of the coach and the desire to have an enforcer in the lineup (or not). For an enforcer, Westgarth has a credible all-around game. He doesn’t take nearly as many bad penalties as previous Kings enforcers, he moves well for his size and he has some offensive instincts. The highlight for Westgarth came on Nov. 23 in Dallas, when he scored his first NHL goal. Westgarth is a positive locker-room presence.

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[Coach Selly]

ROB SCUDERI

This season: 82 games, 1 goal, 8 assists, minus-7 rating.

The good: Stay-at-home defensemen, by the nature and by the nature of the game, don’t attract a lot of attention, and even within that, Scuderi is undervalued. He’s an absolute rock, and the way his season ended couldn’t have been more appropriate. The Kings’ power play got the Game 6 glory for scoring three first-period goals, but it was Scuderi who drew that five-minute penalty, and it was Scuderi who returned at the start of the second period, his face a bloody mess, to finish the rest of the game. Scuderi has been a huge part of the Kings’ defensive success in the past couple years, and is one of the team’s top penalty-killers.

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[Coach Selly]

JARRET STOLL

This season: 78 games, 6 goals, 15 assists, plus-2 rating.

The good: Given a new role at the start of the season, that of a third-line center, Stoll adapted well. His offensive numbers took a mysterious dip, but by the end of the season, Stoll had established himself as an outstanding defensive center, regularly matched up against opponents’ top lines. Stoll is relentless in terms of puck pursuit and isn’t afraid to hit. He is regularly the Kings’ top man on faceoffs and contributes to both the power-play and penalty-kill units. Stoll isn’t part of the official leadership group, but he’s a positive presence in the locker room and a respected leader. Any team would love to have him as a third-line center.

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[Coach Selly]

JUSTIN WILLIAMS

This year: 82 games, 22 goals, 37 assists, plus-10 rating.

The good: Williams has proved himself to be reliable and dependable in all situations. In 2010-11, he had 22 goals and 35 assists. This season, he had 22 goals and 37 assists. “Fit’’ is a big word for Dean Lombardi, and Williams is a great fit for Anze Kopitar on the first line. The two have good chemistry and enjoy playing with each other. After concerns about his health, when the Kings acquired him from Carolina, Williams played all 82 games this season. He’s not a high-flying winger with a rocket shot, but he’s an extremely hard worker who is smart with the puck and very rarely makes big mistakes.

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