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Player evaluation: Handzus

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MICHAL HANDZUS Handzus mug
This season: 81 games, 20 goals, 22 assists, 38 penalty minutes, 18:18 average ice time.
The good: It’s no major stretch to say that Handzus was the Kings’ best all-around player this season. He reached the 2o-goal plateau for the first time as a King and was an important front-of-the-net presence on the power play, but he’s also the Kings’ best defensive forward. Teammates regularly talk about how Handzus is always in the correct position to provide support in the defensive zone, and it’s no coincidence that young wingers regularly thrive with Handzus as their center.
The bad: There’s really not a lot of bad in Handzus’ game. He’s not going to be a 30-goal scorer, but he led the Kings in game-winning goals this season. He’s certainly not the fastest forward, but yet he’s rarely out of position. Handzus thrives when doing what he should be doing: centering the third, “shutdown” line.
Going forward: Handzus has one season remaining on the four-year contract he signed in the summer of 2007. His pairing with Wayne Simmonds has been one of the Kings’ strongest success stories, and there’s no reason why Handzus can’t continue to thrive next season.


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