"Too much, Monahans 6 mil deal and Gaudreau's 7-8 mil will make this deal look like crap, more than it already is, sorry kings fans, Kopi's one of the best, but not 10 million best. "

It will only look better if those two newbies can produce hardware...which they won't...or can...not on that team.

Inevitable that he would get close to a max deal, Kopitar is one of the best in the league.

Enjoy having a top guy for the next 8 years.

Only thing I don't like about the deal is it means resigning Lucic is going to be impossible for you guys, which means Benning will offer him a ridiculous sum and I'll have to see him don a Canucks sweater for the next 7 years.

Inevitable that he would get close to a max deal, Kopitar is one of the best in the league.

Enjoy having a top guy for the next 8 years.

Only thing I don't like about the deal is it means resigning Lucic is going to be impossible for you guys, which means Benning will offer him a ridiculous sum and I'll have to see him don a Canucks sweater for the next 7 years.
- belcherbd

That was likely going to happen, regardless.

Lucic will be in Vancouver next year. Gaborik is already locked in and will retire after the '21 season. And he signed for cheap. Dustin Brown is looking expendable and has a very limited no-trade clause. Clifford, expendable. Jazz Hands, legendary but expendable. If the kings win a cup Vinnie will retire so we don't have to worry about him. I mainly worry about paying Doughty, Muzzin and Toffoli. We lose any of those guys and we're screwed.

I wasn't thrilled about the Toews and Kane contracts, but it is what it is. There was no way the Hawks were gonna let those two walk, especially after playing a major part in their 3 Cups in 6 years. Same deal with the Kings, outside of just 1 less Cup. Guys like Toews and Kopitar do things that stats can't measure. When you ask their peers, guys like Anze, Jonathan, and Patrice, are right there at the top.

Too much, Monahans 6 mil deal and Gaudreau's 7-8 mil will make this deal look like crap, more than it already is, sorry kings fans, Kopi's one of the best, but not 10 million best.
- Flamesfan_34

You can keep your lower deals, and lack of Cups in the future as well. Kings are poised for yet another run.

Kopi's number doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the talent coming through the system. We need to have players with low cap hits, on RFA deals, that can contribute immediately to a playoff run. We still have that with McNabb and Shore this year. In 2012, we had it with Nolan, King, Amart, and Voynov. In 2014, we had Muzzin, TT, and Pearson on entry level deals. Those players have now graduated (or been deported) and are earning more and more money which will eat up space for quality depth going forward. Aside from Zykov and Kempe, we have meager quality coming through the farm system(I know an argument can be made for Dowd and probably others) and no first round pick until 2017. The decline in the team will happen when we get a top heavy roster like the Pens and we have to employ replacement-level players to play quality minutes in the playoffs.

Who knows, though: maybe after a few more Stanley Cups, no one will care about sucking for 1/2 a decade come the 2020's?
- Only_A_Ladd

Hawks will be right there with you. While Toews and Kane deserve all they can get, those deals hamstring the team moving forward, resulting in purges every Summer. The attitude on our end, is to milk this current team the next few years for every Cup they can. The core has a lot of miles on them, and the salary balance is getting more and more top heavy, that when they fall, they're probably gonna fall hard.

Still worth it though (Cups).

I think you HAD to pay him that after Kane and Toews deals, and you don't get a player of Kopitar's ilk walk because of it. He is too good of a player to not get paid, and 29 other teams would have given it to him in FA.

All the same this makes me love Bergeron's deal so much and glad it was signed when it was. $6.875 for 8 years is amazing value when you look at the contracts coming out now.

All-in-all it's a deal that the Kings had to do and as talented as Kopitar is it's mostly a no-brainer.

I wasn't thrilled about the Toews and Kane contracts, but it is what it is. There was no way the Hawks were gonna let those two walk, especially after playing a major part in their 3 Cups in 6 years. Same deal with the Kings, outside of just 1 less Cup. Guys like Toews and Kopitar do things that stats can't measure. When you ask their peers, guys like Anze, Jonathan, and Patrice, are right there at the top.
- howiehandles

Toews and Kane signed their extensions before they won their 3rd cup.

Toews and Kane signed their extensions before they won their 3rd cup.
- tkecanuck341

I like you're way of thinking.

Teams like the Kings and Hawks probably figure may as well go all-in on their top core players, why not, and then the scrapped season of the inevitable next lockout, and the compliance buyouts of the next CBA will be conveniently timed. I wish the Leafs had Cups to go with cap problems, good problem to have.

Teams like the Kings and Hawks probably figure may as well go all-in on their top core players, why not, and then the scrapped season of the inevitable next lockout, and the compliance buyouts of the next CBA will be conveniently timed. I wish the Leafs had Cups to go with cap problems, good problem to have.
- Zezel

Babcock will turn that team around within 3 years, IMO. Great coach.

Babcock will turn that team around within 3 years, IMO. Great coach.
- Gretz2Kurri

Despite the fact that they are in the basement of the league, considering how weak their roster is their system and work ethic is noticeably better so far. And as an organization they are drafting and developing their own players with a long term plan for the first time ever. It helps that finally the board of directors aren't going to be able to tell guys like Shanny, Babcock and Lou what to do, that's a real change. Here's hoping.

It's official now.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=798024

Darren Dreger ✔ @DarrenDreger
Kopitar year by year: $14 mil, $13 mil, $12 mil, $11mil, $8mil, $8mil,$7mil,$7 mil. No move clause immediately and first 4 yrs.

Quality of competition is something you should have mentioned as an advanced stat. Toews is #1 in that category. Also, +/- could have been mentioned.... Other things to consider are leadership and clutch performance when determining value of a player.