With Anze Kopitar retired, Los Angeles is looking outward—and Patrik Laine’s name is among the free-agent possibilities. A report says the Kings could have interest this summer, with a low-AAV, bonus-laden deal floated as a workable fit after Laine’s injury-ma
When Anze Kopitar’s NHL career ended. it didn’t just close a chapter for the Los Angeles Kings—it took away the player who stood at the center of their identity for so long. Kopitar’s retirement leaves the franchise moving forward without the greatest figure in its history. and the summer planning suddenly feels less like routine roster tinkering and more like rebuilding from scratch.
One name that has surfaced in that rebuilding conversation is Patrik Laine. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period wrote that Laine could have interest in joining Los Angeles this summer, framing it as a situation where the Kings could be the right environment for him to recapture some of his game.
Laine would arrive as an unrestricted free agent after a tumultuous time with the Montreal Canadiens. Pagnotta said Los Angeles could have been in talks to acquire him from Montreal ahead of the deadline. and he added a concrete vision for how the fit might work: picking Laine up on a low-AAV. bonus-laden deal.
That matters in a league where teams still have to balance ambition with affordability. In Los Angeles, the need is heightened by the reality that Laine wouldn’t be arriving to replace Kopitar. He can’t. And Pagnotta’s framing is clear that the move wouldn’t “sufficiently” replace the value Kopitar brought on the ice. But it could still shift the franchise in the right direction.
There’s risk here, and it’s tied directly to Laine’s health. Over the last few seasons, injuries have limited him. In the last three years, he’s only skated in 30% of all possible regular-season games. Still, when he’s been available, he’s been impactful. For the Canadiens in 2024-25, Laine scored 20 goals in 55 games while battling injuries.
Put those two truths together and the Kings’ possible interest starts to look like a practical gamble: not a replacement for the past, but a bet on upside if the medical side improves.
If Laine can find a clean bill of health. Pagnotta’s suggestion is that Los Angeles could benefit in a meaningful way—enough to stay competitive in the Pacific Division. For a team entering a new era after Kopitar’s retirement. that’s the type of move fans can at least imagine working: low-cost enough to keep flexibility. talented enough to matter. and timed for a franchise that has to decide what comes next.
Los Angeles Kings Patrik Laine Anze Kopitar NHL free agency Montreal Canadiens David Pagnotta The Fourth Period Pacific Division