Taylor Ward’s 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Kings started in the AHL and ended with a real NHL foothold, and that arc says plenty about how far he came over the course of the year.
Ward spent the first half of the season with the Ontario Reign before getting the call to Los Angeles in the second half of the regular season. Once he arrived, he stuck. He settled into mostly fourth-line duty and appeared in 36 games for the Kings, plus one postseason game in the first round against the Colorado Avalanche.
The numbers were modest, but they told the story of a player who made the most of limited minutes. Ward finished with three goals, four assists and seven points for Los Angeles.
He also showed he could chip in quickly when given a chance. In the first month after his recall, he had multiple goals and four points, and both of those goals came in consecutive road wins for the Kings.
What stood out most was the way he played away from the puck. Ward brought speed, energy and a physical edge, and he ranked among the Kings’ top five forwards in blocked shots and hits per 60 minutes during the regular season. He was active in all three zones, comfortable in puck battles along the boards, and willing to throw the puck on net when the chance was there.
Even with average ice time under 10 minutes per game, Ward still managed 38 shots on goal and 99 total shot attempts. That kind of volume hints at some offensive confidence, even if the scoring didn’t fully carry over from the AHL. With the Reign, he put up 12 goals, nine assists and 21 points in 32 games, which suggests there may still be more offense to unlock if he gets a longer look at the NHL level.
His production wasn’t enough to move him out of a bottom-six role, but that wasn’t really the assignment. For a player who began the season in Ontario and finished it as a legitimate NHL roster option, the year counted as a clear step forward.
2025-26 Season Grade: B
The next chapter comes with a bigger opportunity. Ward signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings that runs through the end of the 2027-28 season, and that gives him a chance to fight for a spot on opening night in training camp and the preseason.
There should be room to compete, too. With some middle- and bottom-six departures this offseason, Ward could have a path to more ice time. He’ll be in the mix for the role left open by former Kings winger Jeff Malott, and he’ll also be battling for minutes with the fourth-line group alongside Jared Wright and Andre Lee, among others.
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Kings Keep A Familiar Reign Veteran In The Pipeline
The Ontario Reign are keeping a familiar presence in the organization, re-signing Jacob Doty to an AHL contract for the 2026-27 season. The veteran forward has been part of the Reign for seven straight seasons, giving the club a steady hand in the room and a reliable option when the game calls for a heavier, more physical edge.
Dotys value has never been tied to offense alone, and that was again the case last season as he provided leadership, toughness and depth minutes whenever Ontario needed them. His role around the team has made him one of the most familiar faces in the pipeline, though his usage in the postseason added another layer to a season that still left some questions about how the Reign will deploy him when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kings Goalie Jack Campbell Is Walking Away For A Surprising Reason
Jack Campbells NHL path always had a little more intrigue than most goalies, and his time with the Kings was where a lot of that story first took shape. After arriving from Dallas in 2016, he settled in as a real part of the rotation in Los Angeles and gave the organization a glimpse of the talent that would later carry him into bigger roles elsewhere.
Now his career has come to a close after nine NHL seasons, and the next chapter is already taking shape in a very different arena. Campbells journey took him from Los Angeles to Toronto, where he reached All-Star status, and then through a difficult stretch in Edmonton before his retirement became official, leaving one more unexpected turn in a career that never really followed a straight line. [Read more 🡒]