The Los Angeles Kings came out of free agency with a roster that looks deeper, older and a little more interesting - and Sportsnet’s read on it boiled down to the same question plenty of people are already asking: is this group getting too old?
That was the tension running through Sportsnet’s weekend look at the biggest free agent signings around the league. The outlet was generally upbeat on the Kings’ work, giving favorable reviews to the additions of winger Mats Zuccarello, center Scott Laughton and center Erik Haula. But the praise came with a clear caveat: the age profile of the roster is hard to ignore.
Zuccarello drew the most attention, and for good reason. The expectation around that move is straightforward - the Kings are bringing in a proven playmaker who can give their top-six forward group a real boost. Sportsnet said Zuccarello “can still make plays” while also pointing out that the Kings are “creating the weirdest team” because of the way their roster age has tilted after these signings.
That same theme followed Laughton and Haula. Both players were viewed positively, but both also fit the broader concern about how much older the Kings have become.
Haula gives Los Angeles a versatile two-way center who should add depth in the middle of the lineup for the next couple of years. Laughton, brought back for a few more seasons, adds another physical, versatile center with more skill than he sometimes gets credit for.
The biggest issue, as Sportsnet framed it, is whether the Kings have done enough to improve without pushing too far into the wrong side of the age curve. The question hanging over training camp and the preseason is whether players like Haula and Zuccarello can keep producing at the same level in the 2026-27 season.
From the Kings’ perspective, though, the point of free agency was never to get younger for this season. The goal was to fix the center depth, add a proven top-six playmaker and build out the lineup with players who can help right away for new head coach Peter Laviolette and his staff.
That’s why the overall picture is pretty clear. The Kings are older now, no question.
But they’re also deeper, more experienced and better equipped in a few key areas than they were before free agency opened. Sportsnet’s takeaway captured that balance well.
Whether it all works will come down to the same thing it always does with veteran-heavy teams: can the veterans keep giving you what they’ve given in recent years? If Zuccarello, Laughton, Haula and even Corey Perry do, the Kings should stay in the Western Conference playoff mix. If age starts to bite, then the concern Sportsnet raised will look a lot more serious.
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Ken Holland Could Still Tempt Kings Fans With One More Move
Ken Holland did not sit on his hands when free agency opened, and the Kings came away with the kind of Day 1 additions that were clearly aimed at shoring up roster needs. Even so, the market still has a few experienced unrestricted free agents lingering, which leaves Los Angeles with the sort of flexibility front offices like to keep in reserve when the first wave of signings is over.
One name that naturally fits the conversation is Patrik Laine, a player who could add scoring punch and some real playmaking if he is healthy enough to deliver it. The appeal is obvious for a Kings team looking to keep upgrading, but the question is whether Holland wants to take on a swing that carries real upside without knowing exactly how much reliability comes with it. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Laughton Just Gave Kings Fans A Reason To Believe
The first day of unrestricted free agency gave the Kings a pair of veteran center additions, with Erik Haula and Scott Laughton both landing multi-year contracts as Los Angeles kept working to deepen its roster. For a team trying to build something sturdier under coach Jim Hiller, the appeal of adding experienced middle-of-the-ice help was obvious, but Laughtons return in particular carried a little extra weight because it spoke to more than just cap space and lineup fit.
Laughton said the locker room environment, the front offices moves and family considerations all played into his decision to stay in Los Angeles, a sign the Kings are selling more than a short-term pitch to free agents. In a market where players have choices, getting one to choose the Kings again suggests the organization is building some real trust, and that matters as much as any signing on the first day of July. [Read more 🡒]