The Los Angeles Kings should be better in 2026-27.

That much is difficult to dispute.

General manager Ken Holland has reshaped the roster, Artemi Panarin gives the top six another elite offensive weapon, Mats Zuccarello adds experience and playmaking ability, and the Kings are counting on several younger players to take another step forward.

There is also plenty to like about the other end of the ice. Los Angeles has the defensive structure and goaltending necessary to keep games tight, while Drew Doughty could very well take on an even greater leadership role as the potential next captain.

Can the Kings score enough goals to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender?

That question isn’t coming out of nowhere.

Los Angeles finished among the NHL’s bottom five in goals last season and scored two or fewer goals in half of its regular-season games. Even more remarkable, the Kings managed to reach the playoffs despite finishing the regular season with a negative goal differential.

Their defense and goaltending gave them a chance nearly every night.

Their offense didn’t always capitalize on it.

That imbalance becomes increasingly difficult to overcome as the stakes rise. In the playoffs, there are going to be nights when the defense isn’t perfect and the goaltender doesn’t steal the game. When that happens, Los Angeles needs enough offensive firepower throughout the lineup to compensate.

That’s where the biggest uncertainty lies.

Panarin gives the Kings something they desperately needed: another player capable of creating offense when nothing seems to be there.

With a full season in Los Angeles, it would not be surprising to see him return to the level of production that made him one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive players. A 90-point season is entirely within the realm of possibility, and if everything falls into place, perhaps he even reaches 100.

That would be a tremendous development for the Kings.

It still may not be enough.

The issue isn’t whether Los Angeles has enough talent at the top of its lineup. It is whether that talent extends far enough down the roster.

Adrian Kempe has already proven that he can carry a significant offensive burden. He is coming off consecutive seasons with at least 35 goals and 70 points and remains one of the team’s most dependable scoring threats.

Panarin should provide another major offensive outlet.

But contenders cannot consistently depend on their stars to manufacture offense every night.

The Kings need contributions from throughout their forward group, particularly from the bottom six.

A third line that can consistently generate chances and finish them would change the complexion of this team. The same can be said for a fourth line capable of chipping in at crucial moments instead of simply eating minutes.

That type of depth becomes especially valuable over an 84-game season and even more important once the playoffs begin.

If there is one player who could dramatically alter the Kings’ offensive ceiling, it may be Quinton Byfield.

The former No. 2 overall pick has shown flashes of the player Los Angeles believes he can become. Now, the Kings need those flashes to become consistency.

Byfield doesn’t necessarily need to turn into a 90-point superstar overnight.

But he does need to move beyond being a middle-of-the-pack offensive contributor.

A 65-to-70-point season would represent a significant step forward and, more importantly, give the Kings another legitimate offensive threat opponents have to account for.

That matters.

If Panarin and Kempe are the primary concerns for opposing defenses, adding a productive Byfield to the equation makes life considerably more difficult for everyone else.

It also takes some of the burden off the veterans.

For Los Angeles, Byfield’s development could be one of the most important storylines of the entire season.

Kevin Fiala presents another major variable.

After suffering a broken leg at the Olympics, the question isn’t whether Fiala has the ability to produce. Everyone already knows what he can do when healthy.

The question is whether he can return to that level.

Fiala is at his best when he’s attacking with confidence, creating off the rush and forcing defenses to react to him. If he can return to that form, the Kings suddenly have another dangerous offensive player capable of changing a game.

If he struggles to regain his previous form, however, Los Angeles will have fewer reliable options behind Panarin and Kempe.

For a team that already had difficulty generating consistent offense, that could become a significant issue.

There is an interesting parallel between the Kings and the Denver Broncos teams from a few years ago.

The Broncos had a defense capable of keeping them in games, but the offense couldn’t consistently provide enough production to take advantage of it.

The Kings could face a similar dilemma.

Their defense is solid.

Their goaltending is amazing. 

Their structure is good.

But none of that guarantees a championship.

Eventually, a team has to score.

The Kings cannot expect their goaltending to bail them out every night or their defense to erase every mistake. Over the course of a long season, those advantages can keep a team competitive. In the playoffs, however, offensive shortcomings become much harder to hide.

That’s why the bottom six matters so much.

The Kings need their third and fourth lines to contribute. They need secondary scorers to step up when the top players aren’t producing. They need younger players to continue developing rather than remaining dependent on the same handful of veterans.

And they need to turn more of their offensive-zone opportunities into goals.

Special teams are another area where Los Angeles has room for improvement.

The Kings finished among the NHL’s bottom five in power-play efficiency last season, leaving valuable goals on the table.

That has to change.

Panarin should help immediately, particularly because of his ability to create space and generate chances with the puck. But one player isn’t going to fix an entire power play.

Los Angeles needs better execution, more movement and more consistent finishing from the players around him.

If the Kings can turn the power play into a legitimate weapon, it could provide the additional scoring cushion they lacked last season.

There are legitimate reasons to believe the Kings will be a better offensive team.

Panarin could return to superstar form.

Kempe remains a proven goal scorer.

Fiala could regain his pre-injury form.

Byfield could finally make the offensive jump Los Angeles has been waiting for.

Zuccarello provides another experienced playmaker, while Alex Laferriere has an opportunity to build on his development and become a more consistent contributor.

On paper, that’s a considerably more dangerous group than the one Los Angeles had a year ago.

But the Kings don’t need to simply score more than they did last season.

They need to score enough to win when their defense and goaltending inevitably have an off night.

That’s the difference between being a good team and being a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. 

If Byfield takes the next step, Fiala returns to form, Laferriere continues developing and the bottom six becomes a legitimate source of offense, the Kings could look dramatically different by the time the playoffs arrive.

If those things don’t happen, Los Angeles could once again find itself asking its defense and goaltending to compensate for an offense that isn’t quite ready to carry its share of the load.

The Kings have enough talent to make the postseason.

They may even have enough talent to win a playoff series.

But if they want to be standing in June, they need more than Artemi Panarin.

They need scoring from everyone.