Anze Kopitar Contract Extension Finalized With Kings

Anze Kopitar Contract: 8-Year Extension Makes Him 3rd Highest Paid Player in NHL

Three days ago, TSN‘s Bob McKenzie reported from sources that a new Anze Kopitar contract was nearing completion with the Los Angeles Kings. It seems the two sides have finally come to an agreement on an eight-year extension.

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The original numbers reported two days ago of $80 million total dollars at $10 million/season seem to be accurate, although financial terms were not disclosed. We do know the first two years include a $9 million dollar signing bonus. It contains a no-movement clause the first four years, and a limited no-trade in the back-half of the contract, all of this according to TSN.

"via NHL.com,The reported numbers mean Kopitar’s salary-cap charge is the third-highest in the NHL. Chicago Blackhawks forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each are at $10.5 million a season. Kopitar becomes the highest-paid player on the Kings, supplanting defenseman Drew Doughty, who makes $7 million a season."

Anze Kopitar is a player with a much higher offensive ceiling for production than his average numbers suggest. A big two-way center, Kopitar is arguably in the same conversation as Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron when it comes to defensively responsible forwards. Much like the Blackhawks did with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, the Kings need to lock down their main core pieces that have won them Stanley Cup’s in recent years.

via “Anze Kopitar Contract Nearly Finalized with Kings” (two days ago),

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 next season’s projection of a $74 million dollar salary cap is accurate (sounds as though there’s a chance it may not change from 2015-16), the Los Angeles Kings are already using 86.85 percent of next season’s cap space on 17 players.

Next: Philadelphia Trades Luke Schenn and Vincent Lecavalier to Los Angeles

If the numbers are accurate, does it have any effect on the Steven Stamkos negotiations moving forward? How do these figures effect contract talks for Eric Staal (reportedly asking for $9 million to open discussions earlier in the year)? Can the Kings still afford to re-sign Milan Lucic? Or, does Los Angeles have some roster juggling to do, much like Chicago seems to be forced with every offseason?

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