The luster and bright lights of Los Angeles have quickly dimmed for Kings forward Dustin Brown.
It's no secret, Brown's production has dropped immensely, and his annual cap hit of $5.875 million through 2022 has become a burden on the Kings' books.
After five consecutive seasons of more than 50 points, Brown has fallen short of the 30-point mark every year since 2013.
A steady decline, tied with the emergence of superstar Anze Kopitar, led Los Angeles to strip Brown of his captaincy, but, despite being aware of how harsh his reality has become, it hurt the 31-year-old to learn the team he captained to two Stanley Cups is taking the "C" from his chest.
Brown said the decision was made by management, and it was a "tough pill to swallow," according to Yahoo's Josh Cooper.
Either way, Brown is intent on improving.
Brown: "Whether i have a C on my chest or not, I'm going to put pressure on myself to be better."
— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) June 30, 2016
Brown was irritated the captaincy news was leaked, and was honest in saying his relationship with Kings' management has taken a hit.
Brown on relationship with Kings management, "I'm not going to say it's rosy"
— Josh Cooper (@JoshuaCooper) June 30, 2016
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