The All-Stars are the motor that drive a team to a series win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but it's the unsung heroes who fuel the team for a long run. Who will step up for the Los Angeles Kings this spring?
The Los Angeles Kings are in for a tall task as they're set to face the Presidents Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the Kings want any chance to knock out the Avalanche, they will need every single player in their lineup to play the best hockey of their careers.
Obviously the star players like Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe will lead the way, the team needs solid production from depth players such as Trevor Moore and Joel Armia.
Drew Doughty will likely lead the Kings defensemen in ice-time but a player like Mikey Anderson must be ready for the task of shutting down Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.
Trevor Moore, LW
If the Kings are going to stay competitive in this series, they need depth scoring more than just about anything. Trevor Moore seems like the perfect player to provide a clutch goal or two throughout a series.
Last postseason, the 31-year-old proved he has what it takes as he scored two goals, along with two assists for four points in the Kings six-game series against the Edmonton Oilers.
This season, Moore scored 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 69 games played.
Mikey Anderson, D
Mikey Anderson might be the most underrated player on the Kings roster. The 26-year-old consistently plays over 20 minutes every night while playing alongside Drew Doughty on the Kings top pair.
In his seven-year career, the 26-year-old has never finished a season with a +/- rating over lower than zero. This season, he managed to finish with a +8 rating while playing on a team that has a hard time scoring, as well as facing the opponents top lines night in and night out.
However, his postseason numbers have not been as compelling. in 24 career postseason games Anderson is a -14. It should be taken into consideration that every game he's played in late spring has been against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
The Kings need Anderson to build off of his past playoff woes in order to shutdown the high flying Avalanche.
© Griffin Hooper-Imagn ImagesJoel Armia, RW
Joel Armia's first season as a Los Angeles Kings should be described as a success. He has provided exactly what he was brought in to do. Score 10+ goals and 25+ points while bringing a solid two-way play style to the lineup. In 67 games, the 32-year-old scored 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points.
While Armia has shown he's a terrific third line winger, he has also proved that he can step up when it matters most. In the 2026 Olympics in February, Armia was arguably Team Finland's best player. In six games in Italy, the Finnish veteran scored three goals and five assists for eight points, while also having a +7 rating.
The winger also brings crucial playoff experience, having played in 49 career postseason games prior to this series. 21 of those 49 games came when Armia and the Montreal Canadiens made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
Armia and his experience in big moments should prove to be crucial if the Kings are to have any success against the Avalanche.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.