Anze Kopitar Contract Nearly Finalized With Kings

Anze Kopitar Contract With Los Angeles Kings Nearing Completion

In an earlier report, TSN‘s Bob McKenzie suggested Anze Kopitar contract talks with the Los Angeles are nearly completed. This coming after a TSN report two nights earlier suggesting the Kings and Kopitar were still far apart of certain aspects of a new deal.

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Rumors are that Kopitar will receive the maximum eight years allowed under the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). There’s also rumblings the cap number will make him the third highest player at $10 million/year, sitting behind Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The cap hit is a little further north than what they’d likely want to pay, but the Kings hands are tied. Los Angeles has proven they can win with their stars in Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, etc. Like Chicago, winners need to get the most important core pieces locked down.

via NHL.com,

"Kopitar, the No. 11 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who has 12 goals and 35 points in 42 games this season.Kopitar’s final contract numbers could also impact the negotiations between forward Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Like Kopitar, Stamkos is eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1."

Anze Kopitar Contract Could Effect Salary Cap Situation

Hopes were to extend Milan Lucic long-term, along with Kopitar. They still could find a way to sign Lucic to a new contract, but the money available for other players will be significantly impacted with the Anze Kopitar contract yielding a reported $80 million dollars.

Adding Kopitar’s $10 million dollar cap hit, the Los Angeles Kings are committing $39,396,893 dollars to 12 forwards in 2016-17 (avg of $3.283 per forward). Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis are the lone free agents up-front. Including Mike Richards recapture penalty and settlement, the Kings have committed $40,966,893 to offense in 2016-17.

Between Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Matt Greene, and Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles is paying $23.3 million to five players next season. In total, the Kings are using $64,266,893 in cap space for 2016-17, with the new Anze Kopitar contract. If the projection of a $74 million dollar salary cap is accurate (which seems likely with the plummeting Canadian Dollar), the Los Angeles Kings are already using 86.85 percent of next season’s cap space on 17 players.

Cap figures and numbers obtained from generalfanager.com

Next: St.Louis Blues Injuries Continue to Mount

What do you think Kings fans? Can Los Angeles lock down Milan Lucic long-term, and plug in additional younger pieces next season? Are there any moves you’d like to see the team make to free up cap space? Dustin Brown continues to perform as a bottom six forward while being paid like a top six scorer. He’s a leader, offering several intangibles, but his numbers continue to drop across the board. How do the Kings make this relationship work when their under-performing captain is making $5.875 million dollars/year through 2022? Are there any concerns over the new Anze Kopitar contract and its reported figures?

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