Anze Kopitar Inks 8-Year Deal

The Los Angeles Kings have officially signed star center Anze Kopitar to an eight-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday afternoon. They did not disclose the terms of the deal.

TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on Wednesday that this deal was coming and would carry an $80 million value. Part of the hold up at that point was said to be negotiations over a no move clause, which Kings GM Dean Lombardi is not fond of, but a player like Kopitar would (and did) command.

Darren Dreger reports that Kopitar gets a no move clause kicking in immediately and it will run for the first four years of the deal. Elliotte Friedman adds that the deal has some no trade protection in the final four years.

The deal will pay out $14 million in actual salary in the first year, followed by descending years of $13 million, $12 million, $11 million, two years of $8 million and two years of $7 million.

While the price tag is steep, there is no way for the Kings to replace a player like Kopitar if they lost him. He’s among a handful of elite centers who are the best in the game on the defensive side of the ice.

Kopitar has 12 goals and 23 assists through 42 games this season.

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