NHL
After another first-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers left their recent playoffs stuck on a jammed repeat button, the Los Angeles Kings responded by having longtime general manager Rob Blake step aside, hiring Ken Holland as his replacement and keeping Jim Hiller as head coach.
Holland then tackled his first offseason of reshaping the roster. As we opened up a mailbag to provide some answers to our readers, it wasn’t so much the questions that filled it but an airing of grievances that set a gloomy tone before training camp is set to open in a few weeks.
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Consider this submission from Robert P.: Please give me a reason to be excited about this upcoming season, the offseason has totally killed any sort of enthusiasm I normally have for the start of a season.
Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci didn’t do it for you, huh? And you’re probably tired of hearing about how the Kings had 105 points last season, which Holland has mentioned just a few times. The eternal executive won few, if any, positivity points with his summer moves. The best might have been re-signing blossoming young winger Alex Laferriere to an affordable second contract — unless you can get on board with Corey Perry, the well-traveled master of mayhem.
Optimism is hard to find if you’re viewing the Kings through a “will-never-get-over-the-hump” lens, which is understandable given how the last four years have ended. But this is August, and while it’s easy to draw the conclusion of them playing no deeper into 2026, those playoffs are months away and this version can still show the hockey world they’ve got different plans in store. One can still dream, right?
If I didn’t get to your question, keep it in storage. We’re hoping to do a live Q&A at some point during training camp.
(Some questions have been lightly edited for style and clarity.)
Do you think this summer free agency mirrors last year’s? The fan base and media were very negative with the Kings’ signings —Joel Edmondson, Warren Foegele and Darcy Kuemper — thinking they didn’t do enough to get better, but it actually turned out to be great (other than the playoff debacle). – Neal S.
Did we actually address the reason we did not beat Edmonton (again) through the offseason? I don’t feel like the answer was to get heavier, but instead the mental weakness of the team and lack of big-game players. Other than Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault, I feel like nobody else really showed up. – Hassan A.
My cope with the horrendous (at least as consensus via critics) contracts Holland doled out is that they’re targeting a one-year or two-year window and each of these players could conceivably be trade fodder for a bigger move at the deadline. Are these lines of thinking sound? And, if so on the one- or two-year window, what is the team building plan from an organizational vision perspective if this go-for-broke approach with subpar top end talent falls short (as it likely will)? – James S.
If (when?) Holland’s terrible signings drop the Kings from playoff contention, would it be possible to bottom out and try to get the top draft pick in 2026 or 2027? Gavin McKenna is a hell of a player and Landon DuPont could be the Nicklas Lidstrom type of defenseman who anchors championship teams in the NHL for decades. – Garrett O.
Sense the theme? I grouped these together (and there were more of a similar variety) to address and hopefully provide answers. They may not be answers you want to hear, but it’s just one person’s opinion.
Last summer was mainly about putting more jam into the club. Edmondson’s signing was pilloried in some corners, but he was better than many expected in Year 1. Foegele was terrific. Tanner Jeannot didn’t pan out. Kuemper — the return for offloading Pierre-Luc Dubois — was a surprise Vezina Trophy finalist.
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This summer was about filling the hole of Vladislav Gavrikov’s free-agency departure and giving Hiller a full roster he can trust after essentially limiting his team to 13 skaters, which the Oilers took full advantage of in their series comeback. I’m not going to say Dumoulin and Ceci are better than Gavrikov and the traded Jordan Spence. They’ll need Drew Doughty to stay healthy and squeeze more out of his aging legs. They’ll have to trust Brandt Clarke with more responsibility and hope he can flourish while living with his mistakes.
Snap judgments on moves are de rigueur before the players have even suited up for their (new) teams. It’s everywhere. Heck, we do it all over this website. I think Dumoulin and Ceci won’t be as bad as feared, provided they’re slotted in the right roles — and that’s the third pairing. But it’s also asking a lot from the Kings’ top four, and that includes Edmondson continuing to stay healthy and be solid in handling tougher minutes. But the Kings chose this path, particularly when they traded Brock Faber for Kevin Fiala. Might as well see it through before it’s time to begin the post-Doughty and Anže Kopitar era.
Garrett, the only way they’ll be in position for a top pick is if they go completely sideways this season and current bottom-feeders Chicago and San Jose up their point totals to where a high lottery pick is even reachable. There would need to be a significant shift in strategy, and I don’t think there is any appetite to tear it down to the studs. That would also require finding takers for Doughty along with Fiala, Danault, Trevor Moore and others that have term on their deals. I suppose 2027 is more doable if they turn into a bad club overnight, but getting in position for McKenna or DuPont isn’t realistic. Too many solid, prideful players.
How much will it take to sign Kempe? And how significant is the risk that he’ll walk into free agency? – Rick C.
How long before we see Quinton Byfield with Kempe? – James E.
Hi, Rick. I’ll take the easier part of your question first: I think the risk with Kempe walking is very, very low. Maybe throw in an additional very. Holland emphatically stated he wants to get Kempe signed, and I think it’s true the star winger loves L.A. and wants to remain a King. But after producing greatly on what is now a bargain four-year contract, he’ll want to cash in.
I want to do a deeper dive into Kempe’s potential next contract, but let’s take Sam Reinhart’s extension as an example (though not a direct comparison). Reinhart, a legitimate top two-way winger with a recent 57-goal season on his resume, re-signed for eight years and an AAV of $8.625 million. That’s a straight-up bargain when comparing him to Mitch Marner’s $12 million AAV, and Reinhart likely gave up higher potential earnings for security and staying with a championship club. Last year’s 39-goal, 81-point season is more the norm, but it’s better than any of the recent strong seasons Kempe has put up.
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As good a two-way player as he has become, Kempe isn’t a Selke Trophy finalist like Reinhart was last season. With the rise in the cap, Reinhart’s cap percentage for Florida goes from 9.8 percent to 9 percent. Kempe won’t be paid like Marner or Mikko Rantanen ($12.6 million AAV), but if the Kings were to account for the 2026-27 cap of $104 million – Kempe’s new deal would start that season – and bring him in at a lower 8.5 percent, that would still make for an $8.84 million AAV. But I could see the rising cap driving him into the $9 million range. Again, it’s something I’ll dig further into unless they reach an extension soon.
James, Kempe did play some games with Byfield when he and Anže Kopitar were going through some struggles. Per Natural Stat Trick, Kempe’s CF% in five-on-five play was 57.05 with Byfield and 50.54 without. They were on the ice together for nine five-on-five goals and five against. I’d say Kempe and Kopitar will remain a pair due to their established chemistry and maybe deference to Kopitar in a potential final season, unless the captain’s struggles are holding the team back and Byfield assumes the 1C role.
How realistic was Mitch Marner’s interest in us? And why did Holland not look for other wing options? Does he have that much confidence in one of the young guns taking a big step forward? – Henry L.
While I think Marner did have Los Angeles as a possible destination for the next phase of his career, I also feel it became quite clear Vegas was preferable when it came to the combination of playing in a big city with less of the scrutiny over his play that came with being in Toronto. The lack of a state income tax in Nevada could have factored in as well. Right now, Vegas is one of the most desirable NHL cities for players given that and the Golden Knights’ constant win-now philosophy.
I don’t have concrete knowledge on the Kings’ forward target list outside of bringing in Corey Perry and Joel Armia. Brad Marchand stayed with Florida for the Panthers’ shot at a dynasty. Brock Boeser remained in Vancouver. Rickard Rakell is a trade candidate, but Pittsburgh held on to him and Bryan Rust (for now). Holland said defense was his focus going into free agency, and maybe too much focus on Marner and restructuring the blue line to offset Gavrikov’s exit took away from pursuing another top-six winger.
But they’ve brought Laferriere into their core with his three-year extension and certainly think he and Byfield have got another level to reach. I don’t think that’s a bad bet for two 23-year-olds. (Byfield just turned 23 on Tuesday).
Is it foolhardy to hope Alex Turcotte could build on his 2024-25 season? What’s his ceiling at this point? – Rob B.
Rob, I don’t see why Turcotte can’t build on it. He was healthy enough to play 68 games between the first and fourth lines, mostly on left wing. The way the Kings are set up this year, Turcotte is in line to grab the 4C role and move back to the middle. Now, he doesn’t figure to get much action in special teams, but there is an opportunity to drive a fourth line that’s a clear upgrade from last year. He’s unlikely to be a top-six option, but a quality 4C on a winning club is nothing to sniff at. (Once a Kings draft pick, Washington’s Nic Dowd has become one of the best).
If Liam Greentree makes the team, who’s getting knocked out of the lineup? – Michael J.
Michael, this is the time of the year when it’s always fun to speculate whether a top prospect will make the big club. If the Kings were rebuilding and had clear holes to fill, I’d say Greentree would be in serious contention for a spot. But while Greentree is coming off a 119-point OHL season and huge playoffs, this is a veteran Kings team that’s geared to win now, and the re-signing of Andrei Kuzmenko, along with adding Corey Perry and Joel Armia, fills all the potential openings on the wings. It’s easier for a young winger to break in, but Greentree is still just 19. No need to rush him.
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With adding older players this summer, Kopitar likely retiring, and the Kings likely not selling at the deadline, what does your crystal ball say about expectations for the ’26-27 season? – Tommy M.
Is this Kopitar’s last year? Please help me cope with the end of this era. – John S.
Tommy, I’d say try to enjoy the coming season before you worry about the next one. There will be ups, there will be downs. Some players may surprise. Others will disappoint. Take in the ride even if you’re convinced the end will look the same. This isn’t a fun answer, but let it play out. And John, I’m going to bet that this will be it for Kopitar unless they make a Stanley Cup run and he’s tempted to come back for one more shot. Just make this a season to appreciate No. 11 and a career that will land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Who becomes captain after Kopi retires? Drew Doughty? Mikey Anderson? Kempe? – Marc D.
Who knows if it’ll play out this way, Marc, but I’d say Doughty from a respect and longevity factor. But if not, I’m still leaning toward Anderson with Kempe being a permanent alternate in either case.
Who replaces Nick Nickson in the booth? – Alan F.
An official announcement hasn’t been made, but Josh Schaefer is in line to step into some big shoes. In Nickson and the legendary Bob Miller, you have two broadcasting Hall of Famers. But Schaefer, a West Hills, Calif., native and Arizona State graduate, was the full-time announcer for the AHL’s Ontario Reign before a promotion to the Kings’ audio side and stepping in for Nickson on occasion. Schaefer has the play-by-play chops and will do well.
(Top photo of Adrian Kempe: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Eric Stephens is a staff writer for The Athletic NHL based in Southern California. Eric has been writing and talking about sports for newspapers and media outlets for more than 30 years. He has previously covered the NHL for The Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times. He is also an occasional contributor on NHL Network. Follow Eric on Twitter @icemancometh
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