The Los Angeles Kings will need to replace a major part of the roster in the summer of 2026. Anze Kopitar has announced he will be retiring at the end of the season. Now, the franchise will need to replace its captain for the 2026-27 campaign, and this is one bold move the team needs to make.

Kopitar was the Kings' 11th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. He broke into the NHL in the 2006-07 season and has been a consistent presence on the Kings since then. Kopitar has played in 1,454 games with 440 goals and 838 assists in the regular season and 103 playoff games. In his first season, he missed ten games, but since then, he has missed more than six games in a season just once.

Meanwhile, Kopitar has amassed 50 or more points in 18 of his 19 seasons, with 16 seasons over 60 points, a

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