NHL Rumors: 3 LA Kings Center Targets After Anze Kopitar Retirement

With their 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4, the Los Angeles Kings have been eliminated from the playoffs. With this, Anze Kopitar's amazing career is officially over, as he is hanging up the skates.

Now that Kopitar's time in Los Angeles is over, the Kings should be working very hard to land a top-six center this offseason. Due to this, let's look at three centers the Kings could target during the summer.

Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues

When it comes to potential first-line center targets, Thomas is definitely the biggest name out there. The Blues listened to offers for him leading up to the deadline, and the Kings would be wise to pursue him during the summer because of it. He would give them a long-term answer for their first-line center spot, as he signed until the end of the 2030-31 season.

Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers

Trocheck is another interesting trade candidate who the Kings should consider pursuing. The 32-year-old forward would be a very good top-six center to add to their roster. He had another strong season with the Rangers in 2025-26, posting 16 goals, 37 assists, and 53 points in 67 games. However, the Kings would need to convince him to come out west, which could be difficult.

Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

If the Canucks are willing to retain some of Pettersson's $11.6 million cap hit, he could be a good player for the Kings to take a chance on. The 27-year-old forward has had back-to-back tough seasons, but he could bounce back if given a much-needed change of scenery. Keep in mind, this is a player that had 102 points in 2022-23 and 89 points in 2023-24.