The Los Angeles Kings have already spent much of the summer reshaping their roster under general manager Ken Holland, but the work may not be done yet. Even with Patrik Laine’s free agency market quiet in recent days and weeks, the Kings keep surfacing in the conversation.
Sportsnet’s latest roundup of the NHL’s top remaining unrestricted free agents again listed Los Angeles among the teams reportedly interested in the winger. That buzz traces back to a David Pagnotta report from early July, which named the Kings as one of several clubs to monitor if Laine was still unsigned.
The appeal is obvious. Laine is still one of the most dangerous scoring wingers left on the market, armed with an elite shot, a quick release and the kind of finishing touch that can tilt a power play. When he’s healthy, he’s been a difference-maker.
His lone full 82-game season came in 2017-18 with the Winnipeg Jets, when he scored 40 goals at age 19. In every season in which he has played at least 50 games, he has produced 20 goals and at least 30 points. He’s also shown he can deliver in key moments, with at least five game-winning goals and at least 20 goals in four of his 10 NHL seasons.
Laine is only 28 heading into the 2026-27 season, which keeps the buy-low case alive. He can still help a team on the power play, and his offensive ceiling remains higher than most of the names still available this late in the offseason.
But the fit in Los Angeles is not seamless. Holland and the Kings have spent the summer leaning toward dependable two-way veterans, while Laine’s recent seasons have been defined by injuries and uneven production. The Kings also already have established scoring wingers in their top six, which makes the question less about talent and more about where he would actually slot in.
If Laine were open to a one-year, low-cost prove-it deal, the gamble would be relatively small and the payoff could be real. If not, and if the Kings feel they’ve already covered their scoring needs, it may make more sense to preserve the cap space they have left and head into training camp with the roster as is.
In Other News...
Former Kings Blueliner Suddenly Sits At Center Of Troubling Trade Buzz
A former Kings blueliner has landed in the middle of a fresh round of Rangers trade chatter, and it is the kind of noise front offices usually try to quiet before it grows legs. Vladislav Gavrikov, who signed a long-term deal after his run in Los Angeles, is now being mentioned in the same breath as one of New Yorks biggest young forwards, with salary-cap consequences hanging over any possible move.
For Kings fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a familiar name can become part of a bigger roster puzzle somewhere else. Gavrikovs contract alone is substantial, and paired with Alexis Lafrenires, any serious shift would force the Rangers to make major decisions about direction and payroll, which is why this story feels like one to watch as the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kings Blueliner May Already Regret His New York Future
Vladislav Gavrikovs first year in New York has already been complicated by the kind of roster churn that can change a players view of a long-term commitment. The former Kings blueliner signed with the Rangers last offseason expecting stability, but several notable teammates have moved on since then, leaving the picture around him looking different than the one he bought into.
For now, there is nothing official from Gavrikov or the Rangers about any change in plans, and that matters because this is still only a rumor-driven story. Even so, the speculation is worth watching from a Kings perspective, because a player with his track record and contract status does not usually become part of the conversation unless there is real unease somewhere in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Artemi Panarin Put The Kings' Biggest Offensive Question Under A Microscope
When the Kings brought in Artemi Panarin on Feb. 4, it was less a luxury move than a clear answer to an offense that needed another high-end driver. Los Angeles paid a real price to get him from the Rangers, sending Liam Greentree and future draft compensation the other way, and then waited until after the Olympics to see how the fit would look in a Kings sweater. The early returns were encouraging enough to make the move look like more than a headline grab.
Panarin settled in quickly, producing at a near point-per-game clip in the regular season and giving the Kings the kind of creative finishing touch they had been missing. He also arrived with a familiar face on the bench, since Peter Laviolette had just been hired and already knew how to get the most out of him from their time together in New York. Even with that history, though, the bigger question in Los Angeles is still the one this trade was meant to answer: whether Panarin can be the piece that changes the ceiling when the games tighten in spring. [Read more 🡒]