Sounds like Anze Kopitar’s mega-deal will be made official tomorrow.
Per LA Kings Insider, a “high ranking Kings executive” said Kopitar is expected to sign his contract on Friday. That contract, of course is the one TSN’s Bob McKenzie broke news on yesterday, reporting it’ll be an eight-year, $80 million deal -- putting Kopitar in the rarefied class of $10 million cap hits, along with Chicago’s Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
Currently in the final season of a seven-year contract worth $47.6 million, Kopitar’s new deal will kick in next season, which could have major ramifications for Los Angeles’ salary cap.
Per war-on-ice.com, the Kings will have roughly $59 million committed to 15 players once the Kopitar deal becomes official, and will have six UFAs to deal with: Milan Lucic, Trevor Lewis, Luke Schenn, Christian Ehrhoff, Jamie McBain and Jhonas Enroth.
Defenseman Brayden McNabb, who’s been a pretty solid contributor this season, is a restricted free agent.
Speaking of RFAs, it’ll be interesting to see how the Kopitar money affects the contracts of two of the Kings’ brightest young players: Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, both of whom will need new contracts after next season.