The Los Angeles Kings may be getting a little too much benefit of the doubt heading into 2026-27.
A lot of the conversation around them still treats Los Angeles like a fringe playoff team in a Pacific Division that isn’t exactly loaded, but The Hockey Writers weren’t buying into that optimism. They slotted the Kings in the fourth tier, calling them a team “trending in the wrong direction” as the new season approaches.
That’s a harsh tag, but it’s not hard to see where it comes from. The biggest blow is the retirement of center captain Anze Kopitar after the 2025-26 season, a loss that strips away one of the franchise’s most important players. From there, the concerns only stack up.
Los Angeles finished the regular season at minus-22 in goal differential, the worst mark among Western Conference playoff teams. The offense was a major problem all year long, with the Kings landing in the bottom five in the NHL in goals scored per game. That kind of production is tough to ignore, no matter how forgiving the rest of the bracket might look.
And the issues aren’t limited to the forward group. The blue line still has real questions, especially when it comes to finding a puck-moving defenseman who can bring more playmaking and offense from the top four. That’s a hole the Kings haven’t fully solved yet.
Goaltending is probably the clearest strength, though even that comes with some uncertainty. Two veteran options are set to battle for the starting job in training camp and the preseason, and Anton Forsberg did take over down the stretch this past spring and into the postseason. Still, there isn’t a fully settled No. 1 heading into the fall.
There are reasons for hope, too. The Kings are set to get a full season from Artemi Panarin, and they added another proven passer in former Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello, which should help the top six create more. They’re also banking on young forwards Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere, and Alex Turcotte to take a step forward.
So yes, there’s more talent and more experience here than there was a year ago. But until Los Angeles shows it can score consistently, replace Kopitar’s leadership, and get past the first round, skepticism is fair. The offseason moves may have lifted the ceiling, but the Kings still have to prove they belong anywhere near the NHL’s top tier.
In Other News...
Kings Prospects Are Giving Fans A Lot More To Watch This Winter
Four Kings prospects were on the ice in Windsor, Ontario, this week at the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase, giving the organization a useful early look at talent spread across four different national teams. Jimmy Lombardi suited up for Canada, Elton Hermansson for Sweden, and Vertti Svensk for Finland, with each player getting a chance to show how his game stacks up against elite peers in a high-profile summer setting.
Lombardi made his presence felt with a notable goal and showed some versatility by lining up both at center and on the wing. Hermansson, a recent first-round pick, picked up two points while handling a top-nine role for Sweden, and Svensk added his own highlight with an overtime goal during a practice session for Finland. For Kings fans, it is the kind of summer action that does not decide anything, but does offer a promising glimpse at how the prospect pipeline is developing. [Read more 🡒]