Anze Kopitar
Anze Kopitar is another player who has been a cornerstone of the Los Angeles Kings, and it certainly will be surprising not to see him playing for the Los Angeles Kings when that time comes. He has played his entire 19-year career with the Kings and been the captain since the 2016-17 season.
Unlike Doughty, Kopitar ended up having another typical season with 20+ goals (third straight season) and 45+ assists (third time in four seasons). He has shown that he can still contribute even though he is 37 years old and with over 1,450 career games.
He, probably similar to Doughty, would love to retire as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, but again after four straight playoff exits in the first round, it feels like now is the time to make drastic changes for the franchise. Kopitar does have one more year on his contract, and a buyout would only cost them $4.67 million, according to Spotrac.
The Los Angeles Kings are going to have some very tough decision and depending on what they do in the front office and with the coaching staff, could have a major factor on which players are back next season.