Kings add Perry, Armia to elevate 4th line; Ceci, Dumoulin on defense

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2025-26 regular season, which starts Oct. 7. Today, the Los Angeles Kings:

2024-25 season: 48-25-9, second in Pacific Division; lost in Western Conference First Round

Key arrivals

Corey Perry, F: During his 14 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Perry was Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of Kings fans. Now the 40-year-old pest and grinder is with the Kings after signing a one-year contract July 1 with the goal of helping them advance beyond the first round for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. Perry had 30 points (19 goals, 11 assists) in 81 regular-season games and 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Edmonton Oilers last season. He's expected to bolster a fourth line that barely played in a six-game loss to Edmonton and provide a net-front presence on the power play. …Joel Armia, F: Another addition expected to elevate the fourth line, Armia had 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Montreal Canadiens last season. The 32-year-old, who signed a two-year contract July 1, should also help out on the penalty kill. …Cody Ceci, D: The 31-year-old signed a four-year contract July 1 and will be part of a reconfigured third pair. He had 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 85 games last season for the Dallas Stars and the San Jose Sharks, and three assists in 18 playoff games. …Brian Dumoulin, D: The 33-year-old signed a three-year contract July 1 and should pair with Ceci. …Anton Forsberg, G: Will back up Darcy Kuemper after signing a two-year contract July 1. The 32-year-old went 11-12-3 with a 2.72 goals-against average, .901 save percentage and three shutouts in 30 games (27 starts) for the Ottawa Senators last season. … Ken Holland, GM: Replaces Rob Blake, who was general manager for eight seasons. Holland's 1,145 wins as a GM are fifth in NHL history and he won the Stanley Cup three times with the Detroit Red Wings (1998, 2002, 2008) during his 21 seasons. He was most recently Oilers GM for five seasons until his contract expired July 1, 2024.

Key departures

Vladislav Gavrikov, D: Signed a seven-year contract with the New York Rangers on July 1. Gavrikov elevated his game after Drew Doughty broke his left ankle in a preseason game Sept. 25, handling top-pair responsibilities for the first four months of the season and finishing the season with 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) in 82 regular-season games with NHL career highs in plus-minus (plus-26) and average time on ice (23:05). …Jordan Spence, D: Traded to the Senators on June 28 for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Spence had 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) and was plus-23 in 79 games but averaged 7:31 of ice time in the playoffs and was a healthy scratch for Game 4. …David Rittich, G: Signed a one-year contract with the New York Islanders on July 1. He went 16-14-2 with a 2.84 GAA and .887 save percentage in 34 games (31 starts) last season. …Tanner Jeannot, F: Signed a five-year contract with the Boston Bruins on July 1. Jeannot had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 67 games of his lone season in Los Angeles. He missed the playoffs with a groin injury, depriving the Kings of physicality and tenacity on the fourth line.

On the cusp

Liam Greentree, F: The first-round pick (No. 26) in the 2024 NHL Draft will try to challenge for a roster spot in training camp. The 19-year-old had an impressive season for Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League, ranking third in the league in points (119), fourth in goals (49) and fifth in assists (70) in 64 games. … Erik Portillo, G: Made his NHL debut with 28 saves in a 2-1 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 29. The 24-year-old could be in line for a longer run with the Kings if Kuemper or Forsberg are injured this season.

What they still need

The Kings lost a lot of offense at defenseman with the departure of Gavrikov and trade of Spence, who were second and third at the position in points and assists. A healthy Doughty will provide a welcome boost after having 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 30 regular-season games and four points (one goal, three assists) in six playoff games. Brandt Clarke had 33 points (five goals, 28 assists) in 78 games and the 22-year-old should continue to improve in his second full NHL season. If the Kings go through any sort of extended slump or injury absence, they will almost certainly have to find solutions from outside the organization.

They said it

"We're in a window right now where the team, in my opinion, can compete with the best teams in the National Hockey League. And it's hard to have too many young defensemen on a team when you're trying to compete with the best teams in the National Hockey League. … Ultimately, I didn't see us having Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence in the two and three hole on the right side." -- general manager Ken Holland

EDGE stat to watch

The Kings were tied with the Florida Panthers for fifth in long-range goals (21) and ranked third among defensemen in that category (18) last season. Los Angeles was fourth in long-range shots on goal (570), and wings Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe were tied for sixth among forwards in that category (38). Fiala was tied with Rangers wing Artemi Panarin for the NHL lead in midrange goals (19 each). -- Chris Meaney

Fantasy spin

Forward Andrei Kuzmenko had 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 22 games after getting traded to Los Angeles on March 7 in mostly a top-line role with center Anze Kopitar and wing Adrian Kempe. The only other player moved before the NHL Trade Deadline with more points than Kuzmenko was Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars (18 in 20 games). After Kuzmenko scored 39 goals in his first NHL season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23, he had only 33 in 138 games over the next two seasons combined for four different teams. He has fantasy bounce-back potential, especially if he remains on the Kings' top power play. -- Troy Perlowitz

Projected lineup

Andrei Kuzmenko -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe

Kevin Fiala -- Quinton Byfield -- Alex Laferriere

Trevor Moore -- Phillip Danault -- Warren Foegele

Joel Armia -- Alex Turcotte -- Corey Perry

Mikey Anderson -- Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson -- Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin -- Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper

Anton Forsberg