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Anze Kopitar Announces Retirement Following 2025-26 Season

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Kings franchise center Anze Kopitar will retire following the 2025-26 campaign, he said in a press conference Thursday. He confirms what he alluded to last month as he enters the final season of the two-year, $14MM extension he signed in 2023.

It’s a trying day for L.A. sports fans, who also saw MLB’s Dodgers announce future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 campaign. “This will be my last year in the NHL,” Kopitar said. “[My family has] been by my side for 20 years. They now deserve a husband and a dad. I want to get this announcement out of the way now, so it’s not a distraction. I don’t want the attention on me. The moves we made made us better. I can’t wait to start.”

Like his baseball counterpart, Kopitar was a first-round pick by his club and spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The 11th overall pick of the 2005 draft from Sweden’s Södertälje SK wasn’t only the first player from Slovenia to be drafted in the first round, he was the first to even make his NHL debut when he arrived in North America one year later. He hit the ground running in 2006-07, breaking camp with the Kings and immediately stepping in as their top-line center with 61 points in 72 games while seeing north of 20 minutes per game as a rookie. That wasn’t enough to make him a Calder Trophy nominee in a stacked class that included Evgeni Malkin, Paul Stastny, and Jordan Staal, though.

That marked the beginning of what will be a 20-year career, one of the most consistent of its kind. Kopitar continued to flirt with the point per game mark in his second year, making the All-Star Game after tallying 77 points in 82 appearances. He spent a few years struggling to carry the burden of a Kings club that was exiting a rebuild, but after he made the playoffs for the first time in 2010, he finished top 15 in Selke Trophy voting for eight consecutive seasons, cementing himself alongside Patrice Bergeron as the best two-way forward of the 2010s.

While the Kings have had some star power in their lengthy franchise history, Wayne Gretzky notwithstanding, it was Kopitar who first managed to bring the Stanley Cup to Hollywood. The Kings advanced to three straight Western Conference Finals from 2012-14 and ended up converting those into championships on the first and last occasion. During that three-year run, Kopitar’s 188 points in 211 regular-season games ranked 12th in the league, and his +60 rating ranked ninth. No one had more playoff points than Kopitar’s 55 in 64 games during that span.

L.A. had rewarded Kopitar nicely coming off his entry-level deal, giving him a seven-year, $47.6MM commitment following his sophomore season. Before that deal was due to expire in the summer of 2016, the Kings extended him on his big payday – an eight-year, $80MM contract that coincided with him assuming the captaincy from Dustin Brown. While the Kings’ team success dipped in the latter half of the 2010s, that contract saw Kopitar have his career year in 2017-18. He posted a 35-57–92 scoring line in 82 games, remarkably his only time over the point-per-game threshold, with a +21 rating to take home his second Selke Trophy and finishing third in MVP voting, his highest-ever finish for the Hart.

Even as Kopitar enters his age-38 season, he remains an effective top-six center. The slow signs of decline are there, though. His 21 goals and 67 points in 81 games last season tied for his lowest output since 2019, and his usage has ’dwindled’ to a few ticks under 19 minutes per game. He’s still one of the league’s best faceoff men, winning 57.2% of his draws last year, and has continued to rattle off four consecutive top-10 Selke finishes. One noticeable dropoff is his willingness to deliver and take contact. While never an overtly physical center, he recorded a career-low 31 hits in 2024-25. The tradeoff is durability – he’s only missed four games in the last eight seasons.

Those hoping for Kopitar to be a part of the Kings’ bench or front office next year will be disappointed. He’s planning on moving his family back to Slovenia after the season ends and isn’t leaving the door open to change his mind on retirement, he told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Nonetheless, he’ll retire sitting right alongside Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, and Luc Robitaille as the most impactful players in franchise history, and he’s the only one to spend his entire career in California. His 1,278 career points rank second in franchise history behind Dionne’s 1,307, so he’ll end up as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer barring a highly disappointing sendoff campaign. With two Cups, two Selkes, and likely over 1,300 career points when all is said and done, he’s a virtual lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he’s eligible in the class of 2029.

Kopitar now looks to deliver at least a playoff series win in his final season, something the Kings haven’t accomplished since winning the Cup 11 years ago. He’ll do so as his successor as the club’s leading offensive producer, winger Adrian Kempe, is also a pending unrestricted free agent.

All of us at PHR congratulate Kopitar on a spectacular career.

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.

Hurricanes Trialing Logan Stankoven As Second-Line Center

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Instability at the second-line center position has been a hallmark for the Hurricanes organization in recent years. After not adding a middleman via trade or free agency this offseason, they’re looking at some higher-ceiling internal solutions. That includes shifting forward Logan Stankoven from the wing over to center a second line between Jackson Blake and Andrei Svechnikov, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today (via Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer). Brind’Amour wouldn’t commit to Stankoven starting opening night down the middle, but said it was something they’ve discussed as far back as exit interviews last year.

Stankoven, 22, arrived in Carolina from the Stars as the centerpiece of the return for Mikko Rantanen at last year’s trade deadline. He had 14 goals and 38 points in 78 games last year – technically his rookie season after making 24 appearances for Dallas in 2023-24 – to finish seventh in Calder Trophy voting. He had a 5-4–9 scoring line in 19 games to close out the regular season for the Canes before posting a similar 5-3–8 line in 15 postseason appearances. He averaged north of 15 minutes per game in both the regular season and the playoffs.

The British Columbia native played center in juniors and has always been viewed as a high-potential offensive prospect, touted as a potential top-15 pick in his draft year. Yet concerns over his 5’8″, 165-lb frame led to him slipping to Dallas midway through the second round. He’ll never play the most physical brand, but he hasn’t shied away from contact entirely, recording 48 hits and 33 blocks last year.

His performance on faceoffs has been acceptable for a player still in the early stages of his career, having just over 100 games of experience. He’s averaged about two draws per game while playing mostly on the wing thus far, going 98-112 for a 46.7% win rate. That isn’t as much of a concern for the Canes as having someone in the 2C slot who can properly support Svechnikov and Blake offensively. While their first line is getting loaded up with UFA splash Nikolaj Ehlers flanking Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, getting Svechnikov going after a trying 2024-25 campaign is also a clear goal for Brind’Amour out of the gate. The 2018 No. 2 overall pick had his worst offensive showing since his rookie year last season, limited to 20 goals and 48 points in 72 games.

That’s partially because Svechnikov bounced between lines last year as Brind’Amour looked to keep him and Aho on separate units. A good idea in theory to give the Canes some more secondary scoring, that meant pairing him with checking center Jordan Staal or Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who’s only averaged 33 points per 82 games for his career. Understandably, his scoring dipped.

If Stankoven can’t gel with Svechnikov out of the gate, that would presumably make general manager Eric Tulsky aggressive in looking to patch that hole as soon as possible. Cap space won’t be an issue if they need to make a pickup – they still have north of $10MM in flexibility, per PuckPedia, along with four first-round picks in the next three drafts to leverage. But whether at center or wing, the organization is committed to Stankoven as a long-term fixture in their top nine. He inked an eight-year, $48MM extension this summer that kicks in for the 2026-27 campaign.

Oilers Targeting November Return For Zach Hyman

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Top Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman will need just a bit longer to recover from the wrist fracture he sustained in the 2025 Western Conference Finals. In speaking with reporters ahead of training camp on Thursday, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared that Hyman’s goal will be to return by November 1st, per TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. That will set Hyman up to miss the first 12 games of the Oilers’ season. The high-scoring winger spoke more in-depth about his injury during an extended press conference this morning.

An extended absence is no way to start a season, especially for Hyman – who hasn’t played fewer than 73 games in a single season in any of his four years with the Edmonton Oilers. He has been a pillar of lineup consistency and averaged over 19:30 in ice time through 308 games with the Oilers. He’s averaged a lofty 38 goals per 82 games played with Edmonton, leaving the Oilers with a major hole to fill right out of the gate.

Who will step up will become the question to be answered at training camp. Top Oilers prospects Matthew Savoie and Ike Howard seem poised to break camp with the team, but their readiness to fill a top-line role has yet to be proven. Superstar centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could mitigate those concerns – and give the reigning Hobey Baker Award-winner, Howard, and the second-highest Bakersfield Condors scorer, Savoie, a chance to show their full potential.

If not one of their top prospects, Edmonton could also turn towards the veteran presence of a player like Andrew Mangiapane. Mangiapane is in his first season with the Oilers after spending last year racking up 28 points in 81 games with the Washington Capitals. He brings 498 games, and 243 points, worth of NHL experience – though has never filled a consistent top-line role.

Metro Notes: Devils, Ovechkin, Capitals, Hart, Foerster, Bonk

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Before taking the ice for the first session of training camp, the New Jersey Devils shared several updates on absent players. Netminder Jacob Markström, defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, forward Stefan Noesen, and prospects Shane Lachance and Lenni Hämeenaho were all absent from today’s skate.

Fortunately, Markström’s absence isn’t linked to an injury, as the Devils announced he’s dealing with a family matter. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Noesen and Kovacevic. As expected, New Jersey stated that Kovacevic is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and that he’s out indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Noesen continues to deal with a nagging groin issue, which required a procedure this summer. However, unlike Kovacevic’s timeline, the Devils didn’t indicate how long Noesen would miss or his status for the start of the regular season. Lachance and Hämeenaho were injured in the team’s rookie camp, though they’re each expected to begin the year with the AHL Utica Comets, regardless of their health status.

Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:

  • The Washington Capitals got a brief scare this morning when captain Alex Ovechkin left the team’s skate early, failing to return. Fortunately, it’s nothing serious, as Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck shared an update from head coach Spencer Carbery saying that Ovechkin is dealing with a mild lower-body injury, and his recovery timeline is day-to-day.
  • Unfortunately, a few more members of the Capitals’ roster are dealing with mild injuries. Earlier today, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reported that defenseman Martin Fehérváry and Justin Sourdif are skating in non-contact jerseys for today’s skate. Still, El-Bashir, nor anyone within the Capitals organization, has indicated that the injuries will affect either of their regular-season availability.
  • If the Pittsburgh Penguins want prospect Joel Blomqvist to have more seasoning in the AHL, and Arturs Silovs doesn’t build on his excellent AHL campaign last year, the Penguins have little else behind Tristan Jarry, if he’s even capable of handling a majority of the workload. Regardless, they won’t be seeking outside help from a former top-prospect netminder who was recently allowed back into the NHL. Earlier today, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that Pittsburgh wouldn’t be one of the teams targeting Carter Hart over the next couple of weeks.
  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster continues his speedy recovery from elbow surgery. Providing an update in today’s media availability (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia), Foerster remains hopeful he could shed his non-contact jersey during training camp and is still expecting to be ready for the start of the regular season.
  • Another member of the Flyers is dealing with an injury, albeit a mild one. Philadelphia announced that defenseman Oliver Bonk is dealing with an upper-body injury, and he’ll miss the next few days. Bonk is entering his first year of professional hockey, likely with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, after spending the last three years with the OHL’s London Knights.

No Extension Talks Between Blackhawks, Connor Bedard

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Although he hasn’t been mentioned in much of the extension buzz that dominated a quiet summer, Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and became extension eligible on July 1st. Still, Bedard and the Blackhawks don’t seem rushed to get anything figured out soon.

Speaking with Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio, General Manager Kyle Davidson was quoted, saying, “It’s nothing we’re actively working on right now but Connor’s mentioned it and I’ll say it: I have zero concern about where that’s headed. He wants to be here for a long time, we want him here for a long time, we’re going to make that happen.”

Unlike his extension-eligible counterparts, since he’ll only experience the expiration of his entry-level deal, Bedard will become a restricted free agent next summer without arbitration rights. It is becoming more common for players with draft pedigrees similar to Bedard’s to sign long-term extensions when the opportunity arises.

In the three drafts preceding Bedard being selected first overall, each of the three before him has signed long-term extensions with their respective clubs. Jack Hughes kicked things off with an eight-year, $64MM extension with the New Jersey Devils, followed by Owen Power signing a seven-year, $58.45MM extension with the Buffalo Sabres, and finished with Juraj Slafkovsky signing an eight-year, $60.8MM extension with the Montreal Canadiens.

Although Chicago will have ample cap space to grant Bedard a long-term contract, projecting his hypothetical extension is quite challenging. Although he erased any injury concern from his rookie campaign, Bedard hasn’t necessarily taken the league by storm, as he was expected to when drafted.

Since debuting with the Blackhawks for the 2023-24 season, Bedard has scored 45 goals and 128 points in 150 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per game. For better or for worse, Bedard was strongly compared to Connor McDavid upon his entrance into the league. While also dealing with injury concerns during his rookie season, McDavid performed notably better in his first two years with the Edmonton Oilers, scoring 46 goals and 148 points in 127 contests.

Because of this, Bedard is unlikely to ink a similar deal to the eight-year, $100MM contract that McDavid signed upon expiration of his entry-level contract. It will likely be comparable to the recent extensions signed by Hughes, Power, and Slafkovsky, if Bedard and Chicago are leaning toward a long-term deal, with the added bump of the salary cap increase.

Central Notes: Connor, Evangelista, Zuccarello, Neighbours, Molendyk, Reid

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As expected from reports a few weeks ago, the Winnipeg Jets have begun extension negotiations with All-Star winger Kyle Connor. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much substantial progress made before the start of training camp.

Murat Ates of The Athletic shared a quote from General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, saying, “We’ve had great dialogue with KC’s representatives and we continue to have that. He’s obviously a big part.” A few moments later, Cheveldayoff added, “Every conversation, you’re hopeful that this is the one that closes it. But it’s not… I don’t know that it’s a timeframe sort of thing. You just keep on working at it.”

Regardless, Connor is poised for a major payday, from the Jets or elsewhere, on the heels of a career year and with the salary cap continuing to rise. Although he didn’t match his career-high in goals, he did in points, scoring 41 goals and 97 points in 82 games, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • Despite being the only member of the team without a new contract heading into training camp, there’s little chance forward Luke Evangelista is moving on from the Nashville Predators. Speaking with Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean, General Manager Barry Trotz said that trading Evangelista is “not even a thought.” Over the last two years, playing full-time in Nashville, Evangelista scored 26 goals and 71 points in 148 contests.
  • In a vague report from Michael Russo of The Athletic, it doesn’t appear that veteran forward Mats Zuccarello will start the Minnesota Wild’s training camp on time. Without specifying the nature of the injury, there’s some concern in Minnesota that Zuccarello will miss some of the regular season due to the injury.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced that forward Jake Neighbours would miss the first three days of the team’s training camp due to a family matter. As expected, the team didn’t share any insights into the matter, though it doesn’t appear they expect Neighbours to miss much more time. The former first-round pick has become a quality secondary scorer for the Blues over the past few years, recording 49 goals and 84 points in 159 games.
  • Moving back to the injury train, Daugherty reported that Nashville prospects Tanner Molendyk and Cameron Reid are both out with lower-body injuries. Molendyk’s injury likely stems from being on the receiving end of a large hit during the team’s rookie camp, while Reid’s injury (likely longer term) was also suffered during rookie camp.

Senators Notes: Jensen, Pinto, Eller

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In mid-May, Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen went under the knife for hip surgery. Despite the most recent update indicating he was ahead of schedule in his recovery, that assurance now seems uncertain.

Sharing a quote from head coach Travis Green, Claire Hanna of TSN quoted the coach saying, “[I]t’s too early to tell if he’ll start the season.” Still, Green remained optimistic, adding, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s skating with the group in the next week, he’s progressing nicely.”

Fortunately, the Senators added quality depth on the right side of the blue line this offseason in their acquisition of Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings. Still, Ottawa may have to give significant minutes to Nikolas Matinpalo, something he hasn’t demonstrated the ability to handle in his limited NHL career, if Jensen isn’t ready to start the regular season.

Other Ottawa Senators notes:

  • The Senators will open camp without an extension in place with forward Shane Pinto. During yesterday’s media availability, TSN’s Bruce Garrioch relayed a note from General Manager Steve Staios saying the two sides have had positive dialogue, and there was no timeline to getting something worked out. Pinto is entering the final year of a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Senators, scoring 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games last year.
  • One of Ottawa’s free agent pickups this past summer won’t be able to start training camp on time. According to Garrioch, Lars Eller had a minor abdominal procedure, which will eat into a few day’s of his avilability during camp. Still, there’s no indication that the 36-year-old center will be out long-term due to the injury.

No Extension Talks Between Capitals, John Carlson

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Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Washington Capitals have a pair of franchise legends heading into unrestricted free agency. There’s been a lot of speculation about Alex Ovechkin’s playing future after this season, but there hasn’t been as much regarding defenseman John Carlson.

Earlier today, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN provided the first meaningful update to the extension negotiations between the Capitals and Carlson, or lack thereof. Wyshynski reported that Carlson hasn’t been contacted yet regarding an extension, and quoted Carlson saying, “I think anybody would probably love security. I think that’s a normal thought to have. But I’m not thinking about it.”

It’s been a few years since Carlson was a consistent contender for the Norris Trophy voting. He remains a valuable offensive defenseman, although his defensive skills have slightly declined in recent years.

Since missing half of the 2022-23 season due to injury, Carlson has scored 15 goals and 103 points in 161 games with the Capitals from 2023 to 2025, averaging 24:45 of ice time per game. He’s continuing to block shots, as evidenced by his 325 total over that stretch.

Last season, Carlson achieved a career-high CorsiFor% at even strength with a mark of 53.6%, following a season in which he matched a career low of 47.0%. Although that’s a dramatic increase, it’s important to remember how much better Washington performed last season compared to the 2023-24 season. His on-ice save percentage at even strength has steadily declined since the 2017-18 season, nearly reaching a career-low last season with an 88.7%.

If Carlson wants to remain with the Capitals beyond this season, there shouldn’t be much hesitation from the organization. Washington had multiple defensemen poised for free agency this summer, but signed each one to an extension during last year’s regular season.

There’s no word if Carlson is unwilling to engage in extension negotiations throughout the regular season, though there shouldn’t be too much to work through. The 2025-26 campaign will be Carlson’s 17th with the Capitals, and a new deal would only be his fourth with the team.

Islanders Notes: Varlamov, Engvall, Duclair

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While Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov resumed skating last month following a season-ending knee surgery last December, there’s still no timeline for his return to the lineup, the team told reporters, including Ethan Sears of the New York Post. Varlamov said at last season’s exit interviews that he felt he would be ready for training camp, so this amounts to yet another setback in a saga that’s left the 37-year-old out of playing action for nearly 10 months now. He only made 10 appearances last season before going under the knife, posting a 3-4-3 record and a .889 SV% with a 2.89 GAA. With his health a point of concern, the Isles inked experienced backup David Rittich to a one-year, $1MM deal when free agency opened to give Ilya Sorokin a capable No. 2 option regardless of Varlamov’s status.

Other updates as training camp gets underway on Long Island:

  • Winger Pierre Engvall had offseason hip surgery that will delay his arrival at training camp. The team told Andrew Gross of Newsday that they expect him on the ice in two to three weeks, ruling him out for the preseason and threatening his availability for their season opener on the road against the Penguins on Oct. 9. Any hope he had of cracking the opening night lineup after clearing waivers twice last season has been significantly slashed, regardless of if he’s medically cleared to play. The 6’5″ lefty had an 8-7–15 scoring line in 62 appearances last season, just the second year of an oft-chastized seven-year, $21MM commitment made to him in 2023.
  • As expected, winger Anthony Duclair has reported to camp and is skating today after ending last season on a leave of absence, according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. He left the team in the last few days of the 2024-25 campaign after some harsh criticism from head coach Patrick Roy, although that relationship has evidently been repaired. Duclair said this week that he returned too early from the lower-body injury he sustained in his first few games as an Islander last year, saying he “basically played on one leg” after sustaining a rather significant groin tear.

Blackhawks’ Laurent Brossoit Underwent Hip Surgery

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Sep. 18: Brossoit’s continued absence isn’t related to his knee injury after all. The goaltender underwent yet another surgery during the offseason, this time on his hip, which will continue to leave him out long-term, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sep. 16: Blackhawks goaltender Laurent Brossoit will not participate in training camp as he continues to deal with a right knee injury that already cost him the entire 2024-25 season, the team said when announcing their training camp roster today. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times relays that Brossoit’s absence will be “likely a lot longer than [camp].”

A second missed season would result in Brossoit never playing a game for the Hawks after landing a two-year, $6.6MM commitment from them in free agency last summer. He was initially brought in to challenge veteran Petr Mrázek for the starters’ crease or, at the very least, provide veteran insurance in case the younger Arvid Söderblom continued to falter after an underwhelming showing in 2023-24. While a career backup option, Brossoit was coming off an excellent showing behind Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg with a .927 SV% and 2.00 GAA in a career-high 22 starts and capitalized on a weak goaltending market as a UFA.

Then, the injury hit. Brossoit underwent meniscus surgery in late August 2024 and was only initially expected to miss five to seven weeks, eating into his training camp but putting him on track to be available for the beginning of the regular season. The team was still optimistic about his return timeline as the season opener came and went. The team then abruptly downgraded him from day-to-day to indefinite in November. He had a second surgery that was supposed to have him on track to make his season debut in January or February, but the team ended up shutting him down for the season at the trade deadline.

The team was noncommittal about Brossoit’s availability for camp even at the beginning of the offseason, expressing hopefulness but not going so far as to make any official declarations on his status. They kicked the can even further down the road today.

Even if he was healthy, Brossoit would be something of an afterthought in Chicago by now. Söderblom established himself as a legitimate NHL option last season, making 36 appearances and logging a respectable .898 SV% and 3.18 GAA to represent massive upgrades from his prior-year performance. The club then picked up 2019 first-rounder Spencer Knight from the Panthers before the trade deadline as the main piece of the return for defenseman Seth Jones. He enters camp as the undisputed starter and recently put pen to paper on a three-year, $17.5MM extension.

Cap space is of no concern for the Blackhawks, who are closer to the floor than the limit. They’ll have no issue leaving Brossoit’s $3.3MM cap hit on injured reserve for the balance of the 2025-26 campaign if he can’t stage a comeback.

Brossoit’s absence means that offseason free agent signing Stanislav Berezhnoy, a 22-year-old out of Russia, should be the other half of their tandem with Drew Commesso in AHL Rockford. If Brossoit was healthy and ended up heading to the minors, Berezhnoy might have been pushed to an ECHL role to get him playing time to start the year.

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