Kings season preview: Laviolette hired to improve offense, special teams

The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins Sept 29. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the Los Angeles Kings.

Last season: 35-27-20, fourth in Pacific Division; lost in Western Conference First Round

Coach: Peter Laviolette (first season)

Biggest challenge

Center depth could be a problem for the Kings after the retirement of longtime captain Anze Kopitar, who won 56.9 percent of his face-offs last season and over 50 percent of his face-offs each of his past 15 seasons with the team. Los Angeles will likely enter the season with Quinton Byfield, Erik Haula and Scott Laughton as the top three options. Byfield won 45.5 percent of his face-offs last season, Haula, who signed a two-year, $7.2 million contract on July 1, won 49.2 percent and Laughton won 59.4 after he was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6. The other challenge for the Kings will be finding ways to win close games. The Kings lost an NHL record 20 games after regulation last season and were 13-20 in games decided after 60 minutes.

How they make playoffs

New coach Peter Laviolette will have to figure out how to improve offense and special teams if the Kings want to make the playoffs again. The 61-year-old, who was hired on June 9, is the seventh-winningest coach in NHL history (846) and won the Stanley Cup as the coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. The Kings have made the playoffs five seasons in a row, losing in the first round each time. In fact, they have not won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, losing seven straight series since. Scoring will need to improve (2.68 goals per game; 29th in NHL last season) as will special teams, where their power play ranked 28th (17.0 percent) and their penalty kill was 30th (74.6 percent).

Most intriguing addition

Mats Zuccarello signed a one-year, $1 million contract on July 1 to bolster the offense. While the playmaking forward had 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games for the Minnesota Wild last season and added nine points (two goals, seven assists) in eight playoff games, he's had trouble staying healthy the past three seasons. Zuccarello is also 39 years old, so it remains to be seen how much production he will provide. However, he could be counted on more if Kevin Fiala isn't healthy when the season begins. The forward had leg surgery in February after he was injured in the 2026 Olympics and will miss the start of training camp.

Biggest potential surprise

Defenseman Henry Brzustewicz could challenge for a roster spot out of camp. The 19-year-old, who was a first-round pick (No. 31) in 2025, had 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 59 games for London of the Ontario Hockey League before signing his entry-level contract on April 4 and playing in 10 games (five regular season, five playoffs) for Ontario of the American Hockey League. Brandt Clarke was the only Kings defenseman who scored more than five goals and had more than 25 points last season, so more offense from the backend would be welcomed.

Ready to contribute

In 103 games over the past two seasons with the Kings, Samuel Helenius has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) and has provided a physical presence with 75 penalty minutes and 294 hits. True, the 23-year-old has mostly been a fourth-line player, but with the Kings' lack of depth at center, he could find his way up the lineup, playing more than the 7:59 of ice time he averaged in 53 NHL games last season.

Fantasy sleeper with EDGE stats

Quinton Byfield, F: He set NHL career-highs in goals (24 in 79 games), shots on goal (180) and average ice time (20:01 per game) last season and will begin this season as the No. 1 center on a line with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe after Anze Kopitar retired. Byfield, who had 49 points last season, had 19 points (13 goals, six assists) in 24 games after the Kings acquired Panarin from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4. Byfield also saw an uptick in shots on goal after the addition of Panarin (2.7 per game from Feb. 4 to end of regular season; averaged 2.09 over his first 55 games prior to trade). Per NHL EDGE stats, Byfield ranked highly among forwards in 20-plus mph speed bursts (297; 98th percentile), total skating distance (267.99 miles; 98th percentile), mid-range goals (nine; 89th percentile), high-danger goals (13; 83rd percentile), mid-range shots on goal (65; 89th percentile) and high-danger shots on goal (63; 87th percentile) last season. The 24-year-old is a full-fledged breakout candidate with 30-goal potential attainable well outside the top 100 overall (fantasy average draft position: 132.6). -- Chris Meaney

Projected lineup

Artemi Panarin -- Quinton Byfield -- Adrian Kempe

Kevin Fiala -- Erik Haula -- Mats Zuccarello

Trevor Moore -- Scott Laughton -- Alex Laferriere

Joel Armia -- Samuel Helenius -- Corey Perry

Mikey Anderson -- Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson -- Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin -- Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper

Anton Forsberg