The NHL, after the season, is going to say goodbye to one of the greats in Anze Kopitar, who was a first-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2005 NHL Draft, won two Stanley Cups in Los Angeles, and would play his entire 20-year career with the Kings. Recently, he did an interview with Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts and was asked if there was another team he could see himself playing with, and he mentioned the Montreal Canadiens.
Kopitar did say that it was tough to imagine himself playing for another franchise, but if he had to choose, it would be Montreal. "If I really have to pick one, it would probably be Montreal," Kopitar said.
"I just enjoy the city. I enjoy playing there and I guess it's a little closer to home obviously being in Quebec."
Anze Kopitar would be a perfect fit for the Montreal Canadiens this season
There is no question that Anze Kopitar had an incredible career, and his biggest achievement might be the fact that he spent his entire time in the NHL with the team that drafted him. In this era of hockey, that is unheard of and reserved for some of the greats like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
Kopitar is going to finish his career with franchise records in games played (1,515), assists (862), and points (1,314). He also has lifted two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.
The Kings right now are fighting for a playoff spot but it doesn't look like they are going to be very competitive if they make it to the playoffs. At the trade deadline, if Kopitar wanted a trade, the Kings would almost certainly have honored that request.
In that scenario, the Montreal Canadiens would have been a perfect fit for him to end his career, and Kopitar would have helped address a need they have on the roster. At this point in his career, Kopitar would have been a perfect fit for that second center position and would have provided the Canadiens with some veteran leadership for a rather young group.
Anze Kopitar will go down as one of the greatest players in Los Angeles Kings history, but it would have been fun to see him with the Montreal Canadiens at the end of his career, trying for one more Stanley Cup with players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.