The Kings have stumbled out of the gate, and now the front office is at least being forced to look in more than one direction.
Los Angeles is 0-3-2 through its first five games of the 2026-27 season, a start that hasn’t sent the season into panic mode but has clearly put management on alert. The club also has just under $2 million in salary cap space, which means any meaningful move would almost certainly require money coming off the books first.
GM Ken Holland has already been working the market for another star-level addition after bringing Artemi Panarin onto the roster last season, and most of that effort has centered on help at forward. But Darcy Kuemper’s rough opening could change the equation.
The 36-year-old goaltender is in the final season of a five-year, $26.25 million contract and carries a 10-team no-trade clause. He can become an unrestricted free agent next July.
That’s where Connor Hellebuyck enters the picture.
The Kings have been loosely connected to the Winnipeg Jets goalie, who is currently suspended after holding out of training camp. Whether those conversations have gotten serious is still unclear, but a move for Hellebuyck would instantly settle any questions in goal.
Hellebuyck, 33, is in year three of a seven-year, $59.5 million contract. He has a full no-movement clause, though he is willing to waive it for multiple clubs.
Winnipeg’s asking price is steep. The Jets are seeking a return built around young talent, including at least one NHL calibre forward. That type of package would likely force Los Angeles to part with Alex Leferriere, plus additional top prospects and at least one first-round draft pick.
Holland isn’t in a hurry to force anything, whether the answer is a goalie upgrade or more scoring help. The Kings have managed only 11 goals in their first five games, and if that trend continues, the pressure to act in Los Angeles figures to only grow.
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Kings Fans Have A Real Goaltending Worry Right Now
The early days of Peter Laviolettes tenure in Los Angeles have not brought the reset the Kings were hoping for, and the issues have started in the most sensitive place on the ice. Darcy Kuemper has had a rough opening stretch, and a recent outing against the Edmonton Oilers only added to the unease around a team that still looks stuck trying to sort out its defensive footing.
Former NHL goalie Carter Hutton added to that uneasiness during a podcast discussion, making it clear he sees the Kings goaltending as a real concern right now. For a club still searching for its first win under Laviolette, the next question is whether the staff keeps riding Kuemper through the turbulence or starts looking for another answer in net. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Keep Finding New Ways To Lose Under Peter Laviolette
The early-season frustration keeps growing for the Kings, who were beaten 4-1 by the Oilers at Crypto.com Arena and are still searching for their first win. Los Angeles had plenty of the puck and plenty of looks, but once again the finish was missing, and a game that could have been different slipped away before the home crowd had much to celebrate.
Edmonton made the most of its chances, with Connor McDavid driving the night from the start and the Kings failing to cash in on their own opportunities. For a team trying to settle in under Peter Laviolette, the pattern is becoming familiar: good enough to create pressure, not good enough to turn it into points, and now five straight losses to open the season have left little margin for comfort. [Read more 🡒]
Reign Enter Gulls Rivalry With One Lineup Issue Still Unsettled
The Ontario Reign finally get a different kind of test tonight when they face the San Diego Gulls, their first game against someone other than Coachella Valley since mid-April. The reset comes with some roster shuffling, including Jared Wright returning to the lineup, as Ontario continues to tweak its look heading into a rare meeting outside that familiar playoff-heavy track.
There is still one wrinkle hanging over the group before puck drop at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, though, and it sits in goal. Ontario has been working through a three-goalie rotation, and the decision there could shape how this rivalry game unfolds, especially with the Reign trying to settle in after a stretch defined as much by lineup movement as by the opponent on the other side. [Read more 🡒]