The Kings are still searching for answers, and Tuesday night against Nashville brings another chance to find some. After a summer of change that brought in a new coaching staff, a new captain and plenty of roster turnover, Los Angeles was supposed to be settling into a rhythm by now. Instead, with 15 games played and puck drop against the Predators on deck, the questions keep piling up.
The biggest issue is the one that never seems to go away: the offense. The Kings have struggled to score enough to win consistently, and the special teams have been stuck near the bottom of the league for a second straight season. With Thanksgiving creeping closer, those problems are only going to get louder if the results don’t turn.
There is at least some help on the horizon. Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello are both close to returning, though their timelines come with very different questions.
Fiala hasn’t played since the Olympics, when he suffered a grueling lower-body injury, so even if he’s back soon, the bigger impact may come later once he’s fully back in stride. Zuccarello’s first season in a Kings sweater has barely gotten off the ground because of the stop-and-start nature of his year since training camp, which leaves his role a little harder to pin down.
What Peter Laviolette needs right now is more from the group already in the room. The Kings have not gotten much depth scoring, and the expected return of Fiala and Zuccarello could help shuffle the middle six in a way that puts more players in spots where they’re comfortable and, ideally, more productive.
There will be some changes in the lineup tonight, and Anton Forsberg is set to start in goal.
At morning skate, Laviolette didn’t sugarcoat the challenge ahead.
“We don’t have the wiggle room for a bad start. We just don’t.
So we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to play. They have guys that can score goals, so you don’t want to give them too many looks on the power play, you want to make sure that you take care defensively.
I still know a couple of their players from when I was there. There’s some pretty good players there and good goaltenders, so that gives them a chance to win and be successful every night.”
Trevor Moore echoed the need for a cleaner opening and a stronger overall push.
“Clean up the start, and then just be competitive. We have to start stringing some wins together here, and being competitive is a big, important part of that.”
There are a few numbers worth keeping in mind heading into the matchup. Joel Armia has scored in each of his last three games against the Predators and has five points in that stretch.
Adrian Kempe has four points and a shootout game-deciding tally in his last four games against Nashville, dating back to March 15, 2025. The Kings have also done a strong job killing penalties against the Predators over the last five seasons, posting an 87.5 penalty kill percentage that ranks fourth in the league in that span.
They’ve allowed just four goals in 32 shorthanded situations against Nashville since 2022-23.
There’s also a milestone coming for Darcy Kuemper, whose next game will be the 500th regular season contest of his career. Only nine other active netminders have reached that mark.
Here is the projected Kings lineup for tonight, with any late changes to be updated before puck drop:
Panarin - Laferriere - Kempe
Moore - Byfield - Perry
Haula - Connors - Armia
Lee - Laughton - Zuccarello
Edmundson - Clarke
Anderson - Doughty
Dumoulin - Ceci
Forsberg
Kuemper
Likely scratches: Helenius, Turcotte, Gustafsson
Injured Reserve: Fiala
Nashville comes in off a 3-1 win over St. Louis on Saturday and is projected to dress this lineup:
Stamkos - O’Reilly - Bourque
Forsberg - Wright - Hoglander
Schaefer - Kerfoot - Pinchuk
Colton - Drury - Edstrom
Josi - Wilsby
Skjei - Perbix
Hunt - Struble
Saros
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time, with the game airing on ESPN+. A Kings radio feed is also available on the ESPN LA app.
In Other News...
Kings Just Made A Jan Jenik Decision Fans Should Watch
The Kings have taken a small but notable roster step with Jan Jenik, joining the Vancouver Canucks in placing a forward on waivers as both clubs sort through depth options early in the season. For Los Angeles, the move is less about the headline and more about flexibility, since Jenik has been on non-roster/injured reserve and has yet to see NHL action this year.
If Jenik clears, the door opens for a straightforward assignment to the AHL, where the Kings can keep him in game shape without burning an NHL spot. It is the kind of transaction that does not change the top of the roster, but it does offer a clearer picture of where the organization thinks he fits for now, and whether he is headed toward the Ontario Reign next. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Get Mats Zuccarello Back With More Than The Lineup At Stake
Mats Zuccarello is back on the Kings active roster ahead of their game against the Nashville Predators, a welcome development for a club that has been waiting on the veteran winger while he worked his way back from shoulder injuries. His return gives Los Angeles another experienced option up front at a time when every healthy body matters, especially with the schedule tightening and the team trying to keep its forward group intact.
There is also a little more riding on Zuccarellos next stretch than just his spot in the lineup. He is closing in on a contract milestone tied to games played, which adds another layer to what might otherwise look like a straightforward activation. Los Angeles also made a roster move with forward Jan Jenk, who was placed on waivers as he continues recovering from injury, leaving the Kings to sort out both health and roster management at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Are Finally Close To The Offensive Help They Need
The Kings have spent plenty of the season waiting for their offense to get healthier, and help is finally starting to come into view. Kevin Fiala is nearing a return after recovering from the fractured left leg he sustained at the Winter Olympics, a setback that kept one of the teams most dynamic forwards out of the lineup and left Los Angeles searching for more finishing touch up front.
Fiala could be back as soon as the game against the Islanders, though Calgary looks like the more likely landing spot. Veteran Mats Zuccarello is also expected back soon after missing time with an upper-body injury, giving the Kings a chance to add two experienced pieces to a group that could use a lift as the schedule tightens and the margin for error gets smaller. [Read more 🡒]