Among the biggest question marks remaining for the Los Angeles Kings this offseason is who will wear the captain "C" on their jersey next season after the retirement of franchise legend Anze Kopitar.
NHL Network recently predicted that the honor of being the next Kings' captain will go to veteran defenseman Drew Doughty.
"You know who could do it? Drew Doughty. It might only be for one year. But I think having Doughty, who's been a de facto captain of the Kings for 15 years anyway, giving it to him would be really nice for him. This would be his last year with the Kings. Maybe it will be, maybe it won't be. Recognizing his contribution, his excellence, his commitment to the team and himself and their success, all of it. I just want Drew Doughty to be captain, just because he can talk more and we can hear more of him. "Mike Johnson on Drew Doughty
Drew Doughty's leadership speaks for itself
For multiple reasons, Doughty makes sense to be the next Kings' captain going into the upcoming 2026-27 season. He's a two-time Stanley Cup Champion and he's played his entire NHL career with the Kings for almost two decades now.
Doughty will also be the longest-tenured Kings player going into the 2026-27 season this fall. He's been a franchise cornerstone for this past couple of decades, and Doughty already wears the "A" on his jersey for the Kings.
In the last year or so, Doughty has made himself pretty vocal and clear that he would like to be the next captain and that it would "mean the world to him". Doughty is a vocal leader in the locker room, and it would be a natural transition for the captaincy to be handed to him after Kopitar's retirement this offseason.
"I’d love to be captain of this team. It’s something, I guess, when I was younger, something I never thought of. And I kind of grew into a leadership role, and now it’s something I cherish, and it would mean the world to me to be a captain."Doughty
There are a handful of other Kings' players who would also make sense to be named the next captain of the franchise this offseason. Defenseman Mikey Anderson, winger Adrian Kempe, and even forward Quinton Byfield received a nod as a potential option in this segment from NHL Network this week.
Kempe and Anderson both have already shown leadership qualities that have made them important voices on and off the ice and in the Kings' locker room.
For the Kings, naming a captain will be about more than just tenure, but Doughty's resume and commitment to the franchise might make him the most logical choice. Whether the Kings make the announcement before opening night of the upcoming season or later in the campaign, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the veteran defenseman become the next player to wear the captain "C" in Los Angeles.
Add us as a preferred source on Google