The Kings’ projected first line for 2027 has a different look at the top, with Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Quinton Byfield set to share the ice. And if you’re sorting out how that trio stacks up by expected production, the order starts with the player who may have the quietest offensive burden.
Quinton Byfield comes in third here, not because he lacks talent, but because the setup around him changes his job. After three seasons mostly on the second line, he’s expected to move into a first-line role for the first time in his career.
That shift matters. He’ll be skating alongside Kempe and Panarin, two forwards who should drive a lot of the offense.
Kempe brings the finishing touch. He’s been the Kings’ leading goal scorer in each of the last two seasons, and in four of the past five years he has scored at least 35 goals.
Panarin, meanwhile, is the playmaker in the group. He led the Rangers in assists in every season from 2022-2025.
With those two handling the heavy lifting, Byfield’s role becomes more about support than control. The expectation is that the Kings will lean on his defensive game rather than asking him to drive the puck the way the other two can.
That same dynamic is why Kempe slots in behind Panarin but still carries real weight as a scoring threat. For the last three seasons, Kempe led Los Angeles in total points.
This time, though, he could end up as the second-best player on the line and on the team in overall production. Even so, he may remain the first scoring option, since his goal totals have stayed in the 30-plus range year after year and he has consistently topped 70 points.
Panarin is the piece that changes the ceiling. His résumé is built on assists and high-end point totals.
He has finished with more than 50 assists eight times in his career, while Kempe has never reached that mark. Panarin has also crossed 80 points eight times, another level Kempe has not hit.
Even with time split between the Kings and Rangers last season, Panarin still posted 84 points, a total that would have led Los Angeles in every season since 2019.
Now he’s projected to have a full season with the Kings, and that makes the case pretty clear: Panarin should be the club’s point leader, and the most productive player on this first line.
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Panarin Carries Huge Expectations Into His First Full Kings Season
Artemi Panarin arrived in Los Angeles right before the 2025-26 trade deadline and wasted little time making an impression, putting up 27 points in 26 games for the Kings. The late-season fit was strong enough for the club to lock him in with a contract extension through 2027-28, and now the focus shifts to what a full season could look like with Panarin established as part of the core.
For the Kings, the draw is obvious. Panarin is expected to be a major piece on the top forward line and on the power play in 2026-27, giving Los Angeles the kind of high-end skill it has been looking to feature more consistently. He also enters the year on the doorstep of a major career milestone, which only adds to the attention that will follow him every night. [Read more 🡒]