The Los Angeles Kings arrive at the 2026-27 season facing a new reality down the middle. Anze Kopitar’s retirement leaves a major hole in the lineup, while Peter Laviolette takes over a club that has reached five straight postseasons but has not advanced beyond the opening round since lifting the Stanley Cup in 2014. Los Angeles opens its regular season Sept. 29 after finishing 35-27-20 and fourth in the Pacific Division last spring.
Key takeaways
- Quinton Byfield is projected to take the first-line center job between Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe.
- Laviolette begins his first season behind the Kings bench with 846 NHL coaching victories and a 2006 Stanley Cup on his resume.
- Los Angeles went 13-20 in games that reached overtime or a shootout last season, setting an NHL record with 20 post-regulation losses.
- Mats Zuccarello joined the Kings on a one-year, $1 million deal and could be needed early if Kevin Fiala is unavailable.
- Teenage defenseman Henry Brzustewicz brings offensive upside into camp after a 54-point Ontario Hockey League season.
Replacing Kopitar and fixing the margins
Kopitar’s departure is more than a leadership change. The longtime captain handled difficult matchups and remained one of the club’s most reliable face-off men, winning 56.9 percent of his draws last season and finishing above 50 percent in each of his 15 Kings campaigns.
Byfield, Erik Haula and Scott Laughton are expected to form the center spine. Byfield was at 45.5 percent in the circle last season, while Haula won 49.2 percent of his draws. Laughton posted a 59.4 percent mark after arriving from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a March 6 trade, giving the Kings a proven option for defensive-zone and late-game faceoffs.
Laviolette, hired June 9, has immediate work to do with an offense that produced 2.68 goals per game, 29th in the League. The power play clicked at 17.0 percent, good for 28th, and the penalty kill finished 30th at 74.6 percent. Those numbers helped turn too many tight nights into extra-time losses.
The Kings have dropped seven consecutive playoff series, including first-round exits in each of their past five appearances. Better special teams and a cleaner finish in one-goal situations would go a long way toward ending that run.
New pieces, young options and the projected bench card
Zuccarello gives Los Angeles another distributor after recording 15 goals and 39 assists in 59 games for the Minnesota Wild last season. He also contributed two goals and seven assists over eight playoff contests. The concern is availability: the 39-year-old has dealt with health issues across the past three seasons.
His role could grow if Fiala is not ready for opening night. Fiala underwent leg surgery in February after being hurt at the 2026 Olympics and is expected to miss the beginning of training camp.
Byfield enters the year with a heavier load and a strong finish behind him. The 24-year-old established personal NHL bests with 24 goals, 180 shots and 20:01 average ice time across 79 games, totaling 49 points. After Panarin arrived from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4, Byfield put up 13 goals and six assists in 24 games and increased his shooting pace from 2.09 shots per game before the trade to 2.7 afterward.
His tracking numbers underline the opportunity. Byfield ranked in the 98th percentile among NHL forwards in both 20 mph-plus speed bursts, with 297, and total skating distance at 267.99 miles. He also posted nine mid-range goals, 13 high-danger goals, 65 mid-range shots and 63 high-danger shots.
Brzustewicz is one of the more interesting names in camp. Selected 31st overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old defenseman scored 19 goals and added 35 assists in 59 games with London of the OHL. He signed his entry-level contract April 4, then played five regular-season and five playoff games for Ontario in the American Hockey League. The Kings could use another blue-line scorer after Brandt Clarke stood alone among their defensemen last season with more than five goals and more than 25 points.
At center, Samuel Helenius may also earn a broader assignment. The 23-year-old has nine goals and seven assists in 103 NHL games over two seasons, while adding 294 hits and 75 penalty minutes. He averaged 7:59 in 53 games last season, mostly in a fourth-line role, but the new depth chart could create a path to more ice time.
Projected lineup
| Forwards | Defense |
|---|---|
| Artemi Panarin — Quinton Byfield — Adrian Kempe | Mikey Anderson — Drew Doughty |
| Kevin Fiala — Erik Haula — Mats Zuccarello | Joel Edmundson — Brandt Clarke |
| Trevor Moore — Scott Laughton — Alex Laferriere | Brian Dumoulin — Cody Ceci |
| Joel Armia — Samuel Helenius — Corey Perry |
Darcy Kuemper is projected to start in goal, with Anton Forsberg as the backup. The Kings have enough established names to stay in the playoff chase, but their season will hinge on whether the new center group can hold its own and whether Laviolette can get more finish from a team that spent too many nights watching a point slip away after 60 minutes.
