LA’s top line of captain Anze Kopitar and winger Adrian Kempe opened up training camp with a new player on their left side. While Alex Laferriere had a brief test drive with the aforementioned duo last season, it appears coach Jim Hiller now wants a longer look at the second-year forward in that spot.
“He had a really good season [last year],” Hiller began, when asked about Laferriere. “As a young player, a college player, there’s a usually — if you just think historically — there’s a good push and then there’s a fade, and then you don’t really get much at the end from them. The times that Laff faded at different points last year, he just dipped, and then he was able to get himself back. … And then in the first round of the playoffs, if you look back at the physicality, I think he might have led the NHL in hits. Not that that’s the be-all, end-all. But for a young player to have that kind of gas at the end of the year, it shows the type of player that he wants to be and what he’s willing to do. And we need those types of guys on our team.”
Hiller went on to explain how the expectations have ratcheted up come training camp.
“Now his challenge is, he’s got a pretty good spot up there with those two,” Hiller said, referring to Kopitar and Kempe. “His challenge is to keep it… But there are no guarantees.”
In the video below, Kempe shared his thoughts on Laferriere and several other topics, including:
— adding size and strength
— getting back to 30+ goals
— playing a complete game
— expectations for 2024-25
— Sweden at the Four Nations tournament
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