There’s a different kind of pressure hanging over the Los Angeles Kings as they head toward training camp and the preseason. This isn’t just about sorting out the roster or finding a few new looks.
After five straight first-round playoff exits, the standard has shifted. Simply getting back into the postseason picture in the Western Conference won’t satisfy anyone in this room.
That reality puts a few names under a brighter spotlight than the rest. For some players, it’s about taking on more responsibility.
For others, it’s about proving a contract was deserved or showing there’s still another level to unlock. Three Kings, in particular, enter the 2026-27 season with the most to prove.
Darcy Kuemper is one of them, and maybe the one with the most immediate pressure on his shoulders. A year ago, he arrived at camp as the clear No. 1 in goal.
This time, he has to win that trust back after an uneven finish to last regular season. The Kings and general manager Ken Holland chose to keep the goalie pairing of Kuemper and Anton Forsberg in place instead of making a major move in net this summer, which leaves a lot riding on Kuemper’s ability to stabilize things.
The key question around him is simple: were those late-season struggles the result of injury, or a sign that age is starting to catch up? Kuemper will turn 37 years old this upcoming season, so the answer matters. A lot.
Up front, Quinton Byfield now steps into the biggest offensive spotlight on the roster. With Anze Kopitar retired this offseason, Byfield is expected to take over as the Kings’ No. 1 center.
That’s a major shift, even if nobody is asking him to become Kopitar overnight. The bigger demand is that he keep climbing and provide the kind of offensive growth the Kings need from one of their most important centers.
He gave a strong glimpse of that upside late in the regular season, posting 15 points and double-digit goals over the final 15 games. That stretch showed what Byfield can do when everything is clicking. The real challenge is carrying that level across an 82-game season instead of letting it fade into a hot streak.
If he does, the Kings could get a real answer to one of their biggest questions in the post-Kopitar era.
Then there’s Brandt Clarke, whose role is about to get much bigger. The young defenseman is being asked to take on more of the offense from the blue line, including on the top power-play unit, and this season will tell the Kings plenty about whether he’s ready for that responsibility. New head coach Peter Laviolette needs Clarke to keep moving from promising talent to foundational piece.
The organization has already made its belief in him clear. Earlier this offseason, the Kings and Holland signed Clarke to a five-year extension worth north of $7 million in average annual value through the end of the 2030-31 season. That deal plants him firmly in the team’s long-term core, and with it comes a new level of expectation.
The Kings also didn’t land another high-end puck-moving defenseman this summer, which only raises the stakes for Clarke. If Los Angeles wants more offense and cleaner transition play from the back end, a lot of that burden is going to land on his skates.
In Other News...
Panarin Carries Huge Expectations Into His First Full Kings Season
Artemi Panarin arrived in Los Angeles right before the 2025-26 trade deadline and wasted little time making an impression, putting up 27 points in 26 games for the Kings. The late-season fit was strong enough for the club to lock him in with a contract extension through 2027-28, and now the focus shifts to what a full season could look like with Panarin established as part of the core.
For the Kings, the draw is obvious. Panarin is expected to be a major piece on the top forward line and on the power play in 2026-27, giving Los Angeles the kind of high-end skill it has been looking to feature more consistently. He also enters the year on the doorstep of a major career milestone, which only adds to the attention that will follow him every night. [Read more 🡒]