The latest set of interviews, Insiders!
Wrapping up the series with video and recaps of exit interviews with four deep forwards, all of whom set some sort of personal best during the regular season. The forward quartet of Blake Lizotte, Jarrett Anderson-Dolan, Carl Grundstrom and Rasmus Kupari set NHL career bests in points and games played this season. Lizotte led the way by skating in all but one game for which he was suspended, setting career highs in goals (11), assists (23) and points. Grundstrom was outstanding at the NHL level for the third straight season, while Anderson-Dolan did so for the second time in his career. Despite a few brief stints in the AHL, Kupari has been almost entirely with the Kings, carving out a role in the bottom six.
The final takeaways from the exit interviews are below!
Blake Lizotte and Jarrett Anderson-Dolan
Blake Lizotte
Starting with perhaps the longest quote of all 23 exit interviews.
The quote came from Lizotte, who was asked why he thought the 2022-23 Kings team was such a tight-knit group. His full answer below –
“You know, if I had the answer to that question, I’d be a very rich man. There is no magic pill. I was talking when one of you asked about line combinations and why chemistry works, I don’t think there’s really an answer to that other than just having good character people in the room. Everyone is selfless and everyone is there for a greater purpose other than themselves. When you show up every day and practice and compete in practice, holding each other accountable to the person next to you, that’s when a team is at its best. I also think that when you go through the hardships sometimes, especially within a series, when you go through hardships with 23 guys in one room, you all just relate to it. I think this year relative to last year, the mindset was different last year. Obviously you want to win a Stanley Cup, but we were happy to be in the playoffs, nobody picked us to be there. This year I think the expectations were higher and unfortunately they weren’t met, but with that expectation there’s definitely more responsibility and I think with guys that have that expectation, nobody’s afraid to call each other out. Calling each other sometimes makes you a lot closer, so I think there was a great combination of responsibility and fun. I’m definitely upset that this one is over.
There’s really a lot of good stuff. Lizotte is still a young player in the bigger picture, but he speaks extremely well and now has a few years under his belt. His commitment and effort earned him respect in the locker room and his style of play endeared him to the coaching staff and veterans on the team, setting a strong example for the younger players coming up.
Lizotte talked about accountability at its best, with how this group has grown from last year to this year. With increased expectations came increased accountability, and Lizotte felt the group held each other accountable. With that came a relationship that grew stronger as the season progressed.
As for his streak, Lizotte missed Games 3, 4 and 5 with lower back spasms, an injury he said made it difficult for him to touch his toes at times early on. He eventually returned to practice and used the break between Games 5 and 6 to get back up to speed, enough to return to the lineup for Game 6. This time out was a challenge for Lizotte, who really hasn’t missed much time until injury in his career.
“You’re in the team, but when you’re not in it, it doesn’t necessarily have an effect on the game, all you can do is bring a good attitude around the rink whether you’re winning or losing. You can’t be in the game and feel that emotion in the game, you don’t feel like you can make a difference, I guess if you want to. It’s definitely disappointing and makes me hungry for more next year.”
Lizotte felt that overall the series was more intense than the previous season. Despite being on the sidelines watching half the games, he pointed to the three overtimes and the more even scores between the two teams as areas to close the gap. All in all, while it was still a loss, it was closer.
Jarrett Anderson-Dolan
For Anderson-Dolan, 2022-23 marks his first full season in the National Hockey League.
Anderson-Dolan has played in five consecutive NHL games, although only the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season was spent only in the NHL, and he played just 34 games during that campaign. That season, despite not being in the lineup every night, he played in a career-best 46 games, scoring a career-best 12 points. He also got into four games during the playoffs, missing only Games 2 and 6.
The role he was asked to play was challenging at times. He didn’t come with an everyday spot in the lineup and often came with a few games out of the lineup in a row. This presents a challenge to establish rhythm and consistency. Part of the job, though, and it’s a job that means a full season at the highest level. In that regard, Anderson-Dolan stuck with it and made the best of his situation.
“It’s just sticking with it, I think persistence. It’s a pretty interesting situation and you want to be in the lineup, everybody does, you want to be there with the guys competing. Being out at the start and then coming in and doing pretty well and being out towards the end is sometimes frustrating, but you kind of take the positives. I felt like my game progressed a lot this year and I definitely learned a lot, on and off the ice. Just sticking with it and just learning a new level of work ethic to bring, that’s what I’m taking from this year.”
Although there were times when he was a sustained scratch, after the season Anderson-Dolan was selected to play in four playoff games despite the growing availability of players around him.
His work ethic and responsibility made him a trusted player the staff felt comfortable using on the fourth line. The postseason was a debut for very few players, but when Anderson-Dolan dressed for Game 1, he became the first of three Kings to skate in their first playoff game over the course of the streak. There’s a step up that every player talks about, and Anderson-Dolan also talked about his playoff experience.
“Obviously it’s a big step up from the regular season, just the speed and every mistake and every little play increases. So, that’s definitely something that I learned and I think the first few games weren’t where I wanted to be in terms of my own play in the series and I felt like I could have given more there and then the last game there I thought it was a little better. I think you just try to take steps and I definitely learned a lot from that and can use that going forward.”
Looking ahead, Anderson-Dolan was open to an invitation to the World Cup as a way to play more games, but he was not included in the first announced Team Canada roster. Otherwise, another off-season of work is ahead as he looks to turn the part-time role into a permanent one.
Karl Grundström and Rasmus Kupari
Carl Grundstrom
Last season, Grundstrom was one of the biggest breakout stars in the seven-game series against Edmonton.
With injuries rife in the lineup, Grundstrom earned a top-six opportunity and rewarded the Kings with three goals and four points in six games played, missing Game 3 with an injury. He didn’t solidify the same type of role in this series, with a stronger front group, but he played in all six games, including a pair on the third line, as his hard-hitting, direct style of play seemed to translate well, once again, to playoff hockey.
Although the streak is shorter, Grundstrom believes the team as a whole has bridged some of the gap that existed last season between the Kings and Oilers.
“Yes. There are always tough games against each other and every game is a battle. It was close last year as well, but I think we took a step in the right direction.”
Grundstrom improved his consistency game after game this season and played in a career-high 57 games, the third year in a row he has increased that total. He missed 16 games with a midseason injury, meaning he was rarely absent due to a performance or numbers game that cost him games a season ago when he was relatively healthy, but much more often a healthy scratch.
“Just playing as well as I can, every time I get a chance. That’s what I was trying to do.”
Grundstrom, like others, indicated he would consider playing at the World Cup with Team Sweden, as he did last season. With exit interviews coming 12 hours after Game 6, it was too early to know when he spoke, so we’ll find out for sure in the coming days.
Rasmus Kupari
It’s been an eventful season for striker Rasmus Kupari for sure.
Kupari increased his NHL game total for the third straight season, setting a new career high with 66 games played, building on the 57 he appeared in a season ago. He also appeared in all six playoff games after skating in 5 of 7 in the 2022 postseason.
Throughout the season, Kupari established himself as a bottom-six center, eventually settling into a fourth-line role when Lizotte took over the 3C position. Kupari carved out a niche for himself on the penalty kill, forming a pair with Phillip Danault that was used regularly for most of the season. On the defensive end, he’s become reliable, even if the offensive play doesn’t go the way he might have liked.
“As the season went on, I got a little bit more of a role, played a little bit of PK, maybe a little bit more of a defensive role. At the end of the year I felt like I was playing better, I was more confident with the puck, I just wasn’t able to score and had a lot of chances in the last month or so. That’s definitely something I need to work on this summer.”
It’s the offensive area where Kupari believes his offseason work should come the most.
He established himself as a regular penalty taker and became a player who kept his place in the lineup every night while others around him came in and out. Kupari improved tremendously in faceoff, improving from 42.6 percent to 54.6 percent. As the only right-handed center on the team, this created value for Kupari, who was able to keep his spot in the lineup by bringing those tools.
Now he hopes to add a little more offensive production to the mix. He scored just three goals in 72 games combined in the regular season and postseason, and has more to offer in that area. With a big body and good skating skills, he believes he can contribute in a bigger way on offense and is determined to work in that area this summer.
“I think I still have more offense in my game, I have to find it. I need to get stronger, be better at fighting and stuff like that. I know there is more offense in my game so I have to work on that and find it.
Kupari has left the door open to representing Finland at the World Cup should he be invited to play, so we’ll see if his season has extra chapters.