Going into training camp and the preseason this fall, the Los Angeles Kings still have a major question to answer before the start of the upcoming 2026-27 regular season: who will replace Anze Kopitar as the team's next captain?
It sounds like that answer might not come for the Kings before opening night of the upcoming regular season.
Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider discussed the captaincy situation for the team going into this upcoming season on a recent episode of the DLLS Stars podcast. Dooley suggested during the discussion that new Kings head coach Peter Laviolette could begin the upcoming regular season with three alternate captains rather than naming an immediate permanent successor to Kopitar.
If the Kings do decide to wait to name their next permanent captain after Kopitar's retirement this offseason, one player could eventually separate himself from the rest of the leadership group.
Dooley picked Kempe as a player who could eventually emerge as the strongest candidate for the captaincy for the Kings. Kempe's trajectory makes the argument easy to understand, given his development into the face of the franchise, his status as arguably the Kings' best player, and his continued growth as a leader.
Adrian Kempe has a strong case to become the LA Kings' next captain
There are a few strong arguments to be made pertaining to why it makes sense for Kempe to utlimately be the best candidate to be the next permanent Kings captain.
First, he's already established himself as part of the top leading voices in the locker room and on the ice for the Kings. He served as an alternate captain for the Kings in this past regular season, alongside defensemen Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson.
Kempe has also described himself before as someone who has become a more pronounced vocal leader on the ice and as someone who tries to lead by example off the ice. He's learned from Kopitar's leadership style, and it would make sense that he, Anderson, and Doughty would be considered three of the strongest candidates to be the next permanent captain.
Also, Kempe has started to become the face of the franchise for the Kings in this past few years. He led the team in goals, game-winning goals, and total points in this past regular season. And Kempe earned Team MVP honors as selected by the local media. He's also scored at least 35 goals and 70 total points in back-to-back regular seasons for the Kings.
The biggest argument in favor of Kempe becoming the next captain for the Kings is that he could be a long-term choice for the responsibility. Instead of Doughty, whose career in the NHL appears to be winding down in the near future, Kempe signed an eight-year ($85 million) contract extension with the Kings that runs through the end of the 2033-34 season.
General manager Ken Holland described Kempe as a leader who "is incredibly valuable to the team" after the contract extension was officially announced last fall.
"We are thrilled to have Adrian signed for the next eight seasons. He is an elite competitor who’s developed into one of the League's most dynamic two-way forwards, and his growth since joining the Kings organization has been tremendous. Adrian's presence both as a player and a leader is incredibly valuable to the team."Ken Holland on Adrian Kempe
In contrast to Kempe, Doughty's situation is very different. Doughty is entering the final year of his current contract. And while he's openly stated that he'd love to be the next captain for the Kings, Doughty also acknowledged his contract situation brings some tension to the idea of him wearing the "C" on his jersey this upcoming season.
Another factor that could play to Kempe's advantage in this discussion about who should be the next Kings captain is the development and continuity within the organization. The Kings selected Kempe in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and developed him within the organization. He's spent his entire NHL career in the black and silver uniform.
Kempe also took potentially less money in his contract extension with the Kings last fall than he would've received on the open market to sign long-term because he wanted to stay in LA.
Some might consider Doughty to be the obvious candidate to succeed Kopitar because of his tenure and stature with the franchise. But Kempe increasingly does look like the better long-term choice. His long-term contract, continuity for the franchise, and leadership role on and off the ice give Kempe a clear path to show why he should be the long-term choice for captain this upcoming season.
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