One of the biggest questions hanging over the Los Angeles Kings this offseason is who steps in as the franchise’s next No. 1 center. General manager Ken Holland has that problem sitting right in front of him, and the answer could shape everything else the Kings do from here.
Quinton Byfield is one path forward. The Kings can choose to put their faith in him and expect him to take that next big step as the anchor for the first-line forward group. But if Los Angeles decides it wants another top-six center after Anze Kopitar's retirement this offseason, the math gets tricky fast.
The Kings are sitting on roughly $2 million in salary cap room after free agency, which means any major addition may require some subtraction first. Before they can chase a bigger move, they may need to clear space.
That opens the door to a few trade candidates who could help create the flexibility needed for a larger swing. One of them is Joel Edmundson.
The 6-foot-5 defenseman brings size and a physical presence on the blue line, and his contract is the kind that can actually move without becoming a cap disaster. Edmundson carries an average annual value of roughly $3.9 million through the end of the 2027-28 season, which makes him a realistic piece for trade talks if the Kings want to open up room.
That possibility also fits with where Los Angeles may want to go next on defense. The Kings could look to add more depth on the blue line while continuing to develop younger players like Brandt Clarke, and moving Edmundson would be one way to do that without tearing apart the defensive core.
There is one wrinkle: Edmundson has a no movement clause with 10 teams on his no-trade list. Even so, that still leaves the Kings with a workable setup if they decide to explore the market. At 33, a 10-team no-trade list is a pretty standard arrangement for a bottom-four veteran defenseman like Edmundson.
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Kings Still Have One Blue Line Problem Ken Holland Must Solve
The Kings have spent much of the offseason talking about the same two priorities: finding a top center and adding another defenseman who can move the puck and help the attack. Brandt Clarke already has his five-year extension in place, which gives Los Angeles a young blue-line piece to build around, but it does not fully solve the need for more offense from the back end.
Ken Holland still has to make the math work, and that is where the challenge gets real. With only about $2 million in cap space, any meaningful addition is going to require a careful dollar-in, dollar-out move, even as the Kings try to strengthen a blue line that could use another skilled option to lighten the load and help a team that needs more production overall. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Have A 2027 Draft Question Fans Can't Ignore
The early look at the 2027 NHL Draft is already giving teams plenty to think about, and for the Kings it comes with the usual mix of opportunity and uncertainty. The class is being framed as a deep one, with high-end talent at center and on defense, and names like Dima Zhilkin and Timothy Kazda are already surfacing as possible first-round types as scouts start sorting out the field.
For Los Angeles, the bigger question is less about who might be available than what the organization will actually be holding when that draft arrives. It is still far too early to know where the Kings will be selecting, and there is also no guarantee Ken Holland and the front office will even be making that first-round choice themselves, which leaves one more layer of intrigue around a draft that is already drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Fiala's Kings Grade Hinges On The Same Lingering Concern
Kevin Fialas 2025-26 season for the Kings was the kind that reminded everyone why he remains such a central piece of the offense when hes available. In 56 games, he delivered 18 goals and 22 assists, production that kept him among the clubs most important scoring threats even after missing nearly a third of the schedule.
The lingering issue for Los Angeles is not whether Fiala can help, but whether he can stay on the ice long enough to make that impact last. He is expected back as a top-six forward in 2026-27, and there is at least the possibility of an offensive reunion with former teammate Mats Zuccarello, which only adds another layer to a season the Kings will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]