The Los Angeles Kings landed in the middle of The Athletic’s latest NHL contract-efficiency rankings, but the review wasn’t a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down for Ken Holland’s offseason work. The outlet’s July 29 breakdown put the Kings at 19th overall going into the 2026-27 season, a spot that reflects a roster still being shaped under new head coach Peter Laviolette.
The clearest win for Los Angeles came with Brandt Clarke. Earlier this offseason, the Kings locked up the defenseman on a five-year deal with an average annual value of around $7.4 million, and The Athletic treated that contract like a smart piece of business. Clarke’s number sits in the same neighborhood as young defensemen Simon Nemec and Pavel Mintyukov, and among defensemen who signed long-term extensions this offseason, he was the only one under $8 million in average annual value after a 40-point season.
That kind of deal gives the Kings a major long-term advantage. Clarke is already being paid like a key part of the future, but not like a player whose next contract will immediately strain the cap.
Adrian Kempe’s extension drew a much different reaction. The Athletic raised questions about the eight-year, $10.6 million deal he signed this past season, noting that it pays him like an elite winger well into his mid-30s. Los Angeles is clearly banking on the cap continuing to rise, which would make the hit easier to swallow as the years pass.
There’s also a strong case that Kempe has earned the payday. He’s put together back-to-back 35-goal, 70-point seasons, and he was named the Team MVP this past regular season. For a player who has become one of the Kings’ most reliable scorers, just over $10 million in average annual value does not look out of line if he keeps producing.
Holland’s other moves this summer also helped shape the bigger picture. The Athletic pointed to the signing of veteran winger Mats Zuccarello, along with the front office’s more creative use of short-term deals for proven veterans, as part of the reason the Kings’ cap outlook feels better late in the summer.
The result is a team that has improved its flexibility without giving up its contender status in the Pacific Division or spending future assets to do it. Ranking 19th doesn’t mean the Kings have a bad contract situation.
It means the roster is still in motion. If Clarke keeps climbing on the blue line and Kempe’s extension ages the way the Kings hope, this group could look a lot better the next time these rankings come out.
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Brandt Clarkes breakout season gave the Kings exactly the kind of proof they needed. He stayed in the lineup for all 82 games, chipped in eight goals and 32 assists, and handled a bigger all-around role while leading Los Angeles defensemen in power play ice time. His pairing with Joel Edmundson also gave the club a steadier look on the back end, which mattered for a team trying to build a more reliable blue line around its younger talent.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next after Clarkes new five-year extension, completed this offseason in restricted free agency. The deal signals clear belief from the Kings that his rise was no fluke, and that he can keep growing into a top-pairing defenseman moving forward. He also got a taste of the postseason with four games against Colorado, a reminder that the next step is carrying that regular-season progress into the spring. [Read more 🡒]
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A recent ranking from The Athletic underscored just how uneasy that picture looks right now, slotting Los Angeles top-six center group into a tier reserved for a major weakness. The caveat, of course, is that such evaluations do not fully capture Byfields upside, and the Kings still have veteran options like Scott Laughton and Erik Haula who could help steady the position if the season starts to tilt in the wrong direction. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Face A Difficult Drew Doughty Decision In Post-Kopitar Era
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The timing only adds to the intrigue. Doughty is expected to be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the 2027 offseason, and with his play having been affected in recent seasons by age and nagging injuries, the Kings also have to weigh the rise of Brandt Clarke on the blue line. However this unfolds, it is shaping up to be one of the defining personnel decisions of the next chapter in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]