On the strength of a phenomenal end to the season (15 points, plus-nine in final 22 games) and stellar playoff showing (10 points, plus-one in 26 contests) that cemented his spot as a starter on the team's blue line, Los Angeles Kings rearguard Alec Martinez may be in for a more prominent role.
He isn’t likely to unseat Slava Voynov on the second pair just yet, but the 26-year-old could certainly pilfer a share of the slumping Russian's responsibilities in 2014-15.
It should be noted that while they play on different sides, lining them up on the same unit would be highly improbable—and unwise—given head coach Darryl Sutter’s reluctance to place two puck-movers together.
So, should the Kings enhance Martinez's on-ice presence next season?
Though the mobile blueliner fits into the team’s system and brings quite a few desirable traits to the table, a full-on coming-out party isn’t necessarily in the cards.
Assets
A swift-skating defenseman who thrives on puck possession, Martinez provides the requisite counterpoint to Matt Greene’s crash-and-bang attitude on the third pairing.
In 2013-14, his regular-season and playoff five-on-five Corsi percentages were identical at 56.3, which reveals that higher stakes did not detract from his ability to drive play toward the opposition’s net.
Beyond his overtime heroics, Martinez’s willingness to throw shots on target from just about anywhere on the ice was particularly useful to the Kings on the power play. He boasted the highest five-on-four on-ice Corsi among regular defensemen (over one minute of power-play ice time per game) during both the season and playoffs.
Coupled with Marian Gaborik’s arrival, Martinez’s shoot-first impulse led to L.A.’s power-play turnaround.
From the r...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
