The Los Angeles Kings’ summer overhaul is starting to take shape behind the bench, and Peter Laviolette may be bringing in one of the biggest names from his Carolina days.
According to Darren Dreger of TSN, Laviolette is expected to hire Ray Whitney as an assistant coach. Whitney, who played 22 seasons in the NHL, would be making the move into coaching after a career that produced 385 goals, 679 assists and 1,064 points in 1,330 regular season games.
Whitney’s connection to Laviolette runs straight back to the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes, when the two won the only Stanley Cup of their careers. Whitney was a key piece on that team, usually skating on the second line with Rod Brind’Amour and Justin Williams. He finished that regular season with 55 points in 63 games and added 15 points in 24 playoff games during the Cup run.
An Alberta native, Whitney started his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks in 1991-92. Now he appears set to join Laviolette on the Kings’ bench as the coach continues to build a staff aimed at changing the club’s identity.
That shift is part of a broader organizational reset in Los Angeles. The Kings moved on from interim head coach D.J. Smith this summer and hired Laviolette, a coach known for pushing a faster, more aggressive style than the slower, defense-first approach Jim Hiller had used in previous seasons.
The Kings are trying to break through after years of coming up short in the playoffs. They have been a regular presence in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this decade, but they still haven’t advanced past the first round. From 2022 through 2025, they lost four straight first-round series to the Edmonton Oilers, then were swept this postseason by the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
Laviolette’s first season in Los Angeles will also be the first without captain Anze Kopitar, who retired after the 2026 campaign. General manager Stan Bowman is currently reshaping the roster in hopes of making the team better equipped to score when it matters most, an issue that has hurt the Kings in their playoff exits.
In Other News...
Kings Still Have One More Chance To Win After The Draft
The Kings finished the 2026 NHL Draft with 11 selections, headlined by first-round pick Elton Hermansson, but the work around the draft board is not done. With development camp approaching early this week, the organization is shifting into the next phase of its summer evaluation, where undrafted players can still carve out a path into the pipeline.
One name to watch is Jakub Frolo, a Czech forward the Kings could look to bring into the mix as an undrafted addition. He fits the kind of player that can catch an eye in this window, with a reputation for strong two-way play, size and physicality, and this is exactly the sort of low-risk opportunity teams use to uncover a useful piece before camp gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Sent A Major Signal About Drew Doughtys Future
The Kings are moving cautiously with Drew Doughty as he heads into the final season of the deal that has defined the back half of his career in Los Angeles. General manager Ken Holland said the veteran defenseman will not be extended this summer, keeping the focus on the season ahead for a player who has spent all 18 years of his NHL career with the club.
Holland and Doughty are expected to revisit the situation after the 2026-27 season, which leaves the door open without forcing an immediate decision. It is a notable stance for a franchise cornerstone who has long been part of the Kings' identity, and it comes with the understanding that the picture could look very different by the time they sit down again. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Linked To The Blue-Line Target Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Kings have already locked in Brandt Clarke on a long-term extension, and that has only sharpened the search for a blue-line partner who can grow with him. One name now in the mix is Alexander Nikishin, with Elliotte Friedman reporting Los Angeles is among the clubs looking at the 24-year-old defenseman as Carolina sorts through what to do next.
Nikishin is still unsigned as a pending restricted free agent, which means any move would require both a trade package and a fresh contract on top of it. Carolina is unlikely to let a player with his upside go cheaply, but the fit is easy to see from the Kings side, especially with the need for a long-term answer on defense still sitting near the top of the list. [Read more 🡒]