Finalizing the training-camp preview series with a look down the middle at the center position.
Center is perhaps the most important position on the Kings roster. On any roster, really, you might say. But the Kings return their top five centers from last season, with a mix of veterans and youth entering the season with a similar theme to the wings – consistency.
A look at this group below –
NHL Contracted Centers, Pro: Logan Brown, Quinton Byfield, Kenny Connors, Phillip Danault, Glenn Gawdin, Samuel Helenius, Anze Kopitar, Francesco Pinelli, Alex Turcotte
NHL Contract Centers, Junior: None
AHL Contracted Centers: Jack Hughes
Where They’re At
An easy place to start here is where we started on the wings, but with even more consistency through the middle of the ice. The Kings are returning not just their top three centers from last season but their top five centers from last season.
Anze Kopitar is leading the way there, as he always has and will for at least one more season. 20+ goals, 40+ assists and 65+ points last season for Kopitar. As he had in 2023-24. As he had in 2022-23. Kopitar is the captain and leader of the club and he’s continued to produce offensively, even as he enters his age-38 season. Kopitar has as much help around him as he has in awhile and should have consistency with Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko on his wings entering camp. Kuzmenko was a good mesh who helped elevate the Kopitar/Kempe duo and I’d expect that trio to be atop the line chart, as it was last season. As it was the season before that.
Behind Kopitar are Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault.
Byfield was the most-used forward on the Kings from February 1 through the end of last season. He meshed effectively with Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere and from that point on, Byfield was tied for the team lead with 31 points from 32 games. 25 of those 31 points came at even strength. Byfield took some time to get moving offensively but his defensive game grew as he shifted back to center early in the season and he was one of the league’s most effective penalty-killing forwards. His next step is to elevate to the top of the depth chart. It’s in there. Time to do it, with Kopitar potentially entering his last season.
For Danault, he’s been the 2C with the Kings since he signed and with his usage, you can still make the case he’s the 2C, even if offensive expectations on Kopitar and Byfield are higher. Danault meshed well in a shutdown-line role with Trevor Moore and Warren Foegele and I thought he was the best Kings forward in the playoffs against Edmonton. Danault had a down season offensively (8 goals) but his underlying metrics point towards a bounceback, at least of some sort, detailed HERE.
Behind Kopitar, Byfield and Danault, the Kings have two younger centers in Alex Turcotte and Samuel Helenius. Kings General Manager Ken Holland stated that he sees Turcotte as the current 4C entering opening night, centering newly acquired wingers Joel Armia and Corey Perry. He said that he acquired those players with that line in mind. Turcotte emerged as a full-time NHL player last season and I personally think he’s a third-line player, not a fourth-line player. He’s a plug and play guy though, who can play both center and wing. Would love to see him push the Top-9 for more than fourth-line minutes and should there be any sort of injury, he is the guy you want to see step up and take that spot.
In Helenius, he was impressive in his debut season as a younger player. He provides size that is unmatched elsewhere in the Kings lineup, standing at 6-6. Helenius could very well take the 4C position outright or in the case of an injury, he could step up into that role as someone else elevates. The Kings like Helenius and see him as a long-term fit at either 3C or 4C. He now needs waivers to be assigned to the AHL, however, so he feels like a good bet to make the Opening Night roster.
Rounding out the group for camp are the following five centers – Logan Brown, Kenny Connors, Glenn Gawdin, Jack Hughes and Francesco Pinelli. Five players at vastly different places, career wise.
Gawdin and Brown are well-established AHL players with a bit of NHL experience. Gawdin was second on the Ontario Reign in scoring last season with 62 points and has NHL experience with Calgary and Anaheim. Brown has played in the NHL with Ottawa and St. Louis and was just shy of a point-per-game (29 points from 33 games played) in limited AHL action last season.
Connors and Hughes are beginning their first full professional seasons, while Pinelli is in his third campaign. Pinelli, a second-round pick, could take his next step this season after he played his second full campaign in the AHL a season ago. Pinelli had 15 goals last season and could play a larger role this year. For Connors and Hughes, they have not played professionally yet. Connors can play both center and wing and will likely begin with the Reign. Hughes is on an AHL contract, with an opportunity this fall to make the Reign, after four seasons collegiately at Northeastern and Boston University.
What To Look For
I don’t see a ton of movement here for the top three centers. Order, sure, linemates, sure. But I expect all three to play a ton of minutes and I expect all three to feature in prominent roles for the Kings this season. On a given night, any of those three could lead the Kings in icetime. On other nights, they could rank a distant third. The Kings have to be a team with three lines going more regularly than not. That’s the strength this group of centers provides.
The Kings like both Turcotte and Helenius. I think Turcotte has the leg up on the fourth-line center job, as noted above, but Helenius is in that mix as well. With Gawdin and Brown behind them, the Kings have seven centers with NHL experience and there seems to be depth and coverage, should additional players be needed in one role or another. Turcotte is at a point where he’s got to be ready to take a step, one I believe he is very capable of. Helenius is probably also ready to play every night in the NHL, likely on the fourth line, bringing a lot of things which are ideal for that role. Interested to keep following both players during camp, certainly.
Interested to see, specifically in the Top-9, how much the lineup consistency actually translates into on-ice production. Several Kings got off to a slow start in the 2024-25 season. Lines were different, roles were different, systems were different, coaches were different, camp was different. There’s a lot less different this time around. I think that should present a real opportunity to hit the ground running as a group, faster than was the case last fall. It also takes away a lot of excuses.
While perhaps there is a start in the AHL for players like Gawdin or Brown, that’s two Top-6 centers who could begin the season with the Reign. Connors and Pinelli are both prospects with an opportunity to play a bigger role in the AHL this season. Connors was a good two-way forward in college who produced offensively on top of the other stuff. Pinelli is in the final season of his entry-level contract and could be a guy who looks to have a breakout season.
Looking Ahead
That’s a wrap on training-camp previews! The rookies hit the ice on Thursday in El Segundo as the Kings continue to move towards main camp the following week.
