The Los Angeles Kings are entering a new era, and Peter Laviolette knows there is no simple way to replace Anze Kopitar. Kopitar was more than the Kings' captain. For nearly two decades, he was the standard by which the organization measured itself — a franchise player, a leader and the steady presence at the center of everything Los Angeles accomplished. Now he's gone.
And while the Kings cannot simply replace everything Kopitar brought to the organization with one player, Laviolette believes the answer may come from somewhere else: the players already in the room. That means the Kings' next step won't simply be about adding talent. It will be about finding the players capable of taking on bigger responsibilities and understanding that their careers still have another level to reach. "There's always more," Laviolette said recently in a sit-down with LA Kings Insider. That mindset could become critical for Los Angeles. With Kopitar's retirement, a massive leadership void has opened inside the Kings' dressing room. Laviolette understands the challenge. "This group's got to find a way to move forward," he said. "We've got to find the leadership. We've got to find the success that he helped drive this organization to find." That doesn't necessarily mean one player has to suddenly become Kopitar. Instead, Laviolette appears to be looking for leadership to emerge collectively as a group. And there are plenty of candidates. Players such as Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere aren't rookies anymore. They've accumulated NHL experience and, in Byfield's case, already have several seasons under their belts. But Laviolette isn't ready to stop calling them young. That's important. Because the Kings' new coach doesn't appear interested in allowing experience to become an excuse for settling into a player's current level. That's perhaps the most intriguing part of Laviolette's message. A player can have hundreds of NHL games under his belt and still have another level to reach. "I think it's important that they realize that, too, that experience doesn't necessarily mean that you've reached the top of what you can do," Laviolette said. "There's always more." For a Kings team trying to establish itself beyond the Kopitar era, that philosophy could be particularly important. Byfield, for example, is entering a crucial stage of his development. He has already played enough NHL hockey that the "young player" label can feel somewhat outdated, but he's still only beginning to approach what the Kings believe he can become. Laferriere is in a similar position. These aren't players being asked to learn how to survive in the NHL anymore. They're being asked to figure out how to drive winning. And with Kopitar no longer there to carry part of that responsibility, the opportunity is sitting directly in front of them. "As a guy like Anze moves off and into retirement, a door's open for others to try and step up, whoever that might be," Laviolette said. That last part may be the most revealing. Whoever that might be. Laviolette is leaving the door open. If this is any indication on what the future of the team may look like, the captaincy must be earned. The leadership transition isn't the only thing Laviolette believes can move the Kings forward. He also wants a different kind of relationship between the coaching staff and the players. Laviolette described the modern NHL locker room as much more collaborative than the one he entered when he began coaching. "There used to be a day when I started, where there was just one voice," he said. "Now it is about... back and forth." That doesn't mean the coach gives up control. Laviolette was clear that everyone still has a job to do. But he believes successful teams require communication between the people making decisions and the players living with those decisions every night. "If there's no belief in it... you're beating your head against the wall trying to get something done," Laviolette said. That's a significant philosophy for a team entering a transition. The Kings aren't simply replacing one player. They're trying to establish a new identity. And Laviolette appears to believe that identity has to be built with the players rather than simply handed down to them. There will inevitably be questions about what Los Angeles does externally. But Laviolette's comments suggest that he sees an equally important opportunity internally. The Kings have players who have been around long enough to understand the league. Now they have to take the next step. Kopitar's retirement creates an obvious void, but it also creates an opportunity for Byfield, Laferriere and the rest of Los Angeles' young core to redefine themselves. The Kings don't need someone to become the next Anze Kopitar. They need players to become more than they have been before. And if Laviolette can get that out of them, Los Angeles may discover that the path forward was sitting in its locker room all along. We suggested a replacement back in late June, and given his accomplishments, longevity and connection to the organization, it should be an obvious consideration. Drew Doughty has been with the Kings for his entire career and is entering his 19th professional season. More importantly, he was alongside Anze Kopitar for both of Los Angeles' Stanley Cup championships. If the Kings are looking for someone who understands what it takes to lead this franchise, Doughty has already been there for it all.