Breaking down the Los Angeles Kings salary cap situation entering the season
By Jim Lynch
The Los Angeles Kings had their big turnaround season in 2021-22 when they made the playoffs and took the Edmonton Oilers to seven games in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was the first step of their turnaround after missing the playoffs for three straight seasons.
With the Kings ready to take another step, let’s review their salary cap situation entering the 2022-23 NHL season. The Kings might not have as much cap space as some other teams, but that does not mean they are not well positioned for the future.
Here is what the Los Angeles Kings salary cap situation looks like for the 2022-23 NHL season:
Projected Cap Space: 1.5 million in cap space
Highest paid forward: Anze Kopitar 10 million AAV for the next two seasons.
Highest paid defensemen: Drew Doughty 11 million AAV through the 2026-27 season.
Longest contract in the organization: Kevin Fiala 7.875 AAV through the 2028-19 season.
If you want to see the full roster and the breakdown of how much every player makes check out CapFriendly as it truly is a great resource for all hockey fans.
The Kings still have a few players they need to work at re-signing this offseason. Players like Michael Anderson and Sean Durzi are still without contracts for next season. Both young defensemen are RFAs right now and should be signed by the time the season comes around.
Here are a few notable players starting the final year of their current contracts: Jonathan Quick, Trevor Moore and Brendan Lemieux. I am very interested to see what Quick decides when his current deal is up as he did have a relatively strong season in 2021-22.
The Kings have a relatively strong roster entering the 2022-23 NHL season. The big trade they made this offseason brought in Kevin Fiala do be a difference maker on the offense, and while he is going to be an expensive player for the team, their current cap situation can take on his long contract considering in a few years Anze Kopitar’s 10 million dollar deal will be off the books.
The Kings have a lot of young future core players to worry about when it comes to extensions in the next few seasons, but they shouldn’t be in a bad spot thanks to the cap space they will have to keep their core group around.