Player evaluation: Drewiske

DAVIS DREWISKE
This season: 9 games, 2 goals, 0 assists, even rating.
The good: Every player wants to play every game, but Davis Drewiske accepted his role at the start of the season and remained an outstanding teammate. At the start of the season, it seemed doubtful that Drewiske would see much time unless one of the Kings’ three stay-at-home defensemen got hurt. Matt Greene and Rob Scuderi both played 82 games; Willie Mitchell played 76. That said, Drewiske can play at the NHL level. He’s not the biggest or fastest, but he manages the game well and rarely makes big mistakes. He’s a good worker in practice and quietly goes about his business.
The bad: Drewiske is in a rough spot. He hasn’t showed enough to prove that he can hold down a regular spot in the top six, but he also hasn’t had much of an opportunity. Drewiske just completed his fourth season with the Kings, but he’s only played 106 games, and never more than 42 in a single season. Drewiske’s problem is that he’s not a standout in any particular area. When the Kings need him to play, they’re not afraid to put him in the lineup, but he’s also not yet a player whose game has demanded that he must stay in the lineup. The Kings have simply had better options.
Going forward: Drewiske is under contract for one more season, and the Kings’ depth chart suggests that he’s likely to fill the same role next season, that of a seventh defenseman. As noted before, the Kings’ stay-at-home defensemen enjoyed remarkable health this season. Given the nature of that role, that’s not common, so Drewiske could get an opportunity. At times over the past couple years, teams have asked about Drewiske, so the Kings could flip him for a draft pick, but he does fill a valuable (if limited) role.


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