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Anze Kopitar agrees to eight-year extension with Los Angeles Kings

By Dave Stevenson

Nov 22, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar (11) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar (11) watches the play against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Kings have announced that they have extended center Anze Kopitar for the next eight seasons

The future of the Los Angeles Kings was at stake. The Kings knew that they had to keep center Anze Kopitar from reaching the free agent market. The team had to give him a long-term deal and commit a lot of money to him. The extension will make him one of the highest paid players in the league.

From the Kings official website:

"Kopitar, 28, has spent his entire NHL career with the Kings after the club selected him in the first-round (11th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. In 725 regular season games he has 645 points (230-415=645), a plus-62 rating and 194 penalty minutes, while in 70 postseason games he has 60 points (18-42=60), a plus-22 rating and 37 penalty minutes en route to two Stanley Cups."

The eighth year likely isn’t going to be pretty. But that has been how the Kings have operated under general manager Dean Lombardi. Lombardi wants to win at all costs and he likely won’t be around to clean up the mess should it blow up in his face anyway.

Anze Kopitar has helped lead the Kings to two Stanley Cups. The next domino to fall will likely be Steven Stamkos and his contract.

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