With the NHL 2025-26 season officially a quarter of the way through, let's take a look at the Kings' forwards and how they have been doing so far this season. The LA Kings are 10th in the NHL at the quarter mark of the season, posting an 11-6-6 record through 23 games. That record has them 3rd in the Pacific Division behind the Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks. BEST KINGS FORWARDS A big reason the Kings are a top-10 team is their forward group, with some players playing some of their best hockey. The Kings' best forwards this season are Kempe, Byfield, and Fiala, who many assumed would be their best heading into this season. Kempe leads the Kings in points with 20 in 23 games played. Following Kempe is Byfield, who is second on the team in points with 17. While his points at this point last year were a little higher, his play has been incredible, to say the least. Next up is Kevin Fiala, who has 16 points in 23 games played. He has the most goals on the Kings with 9, and with the Kings' current 1st line being Kempe, Fiala, and Byfield, those 3 should be getting even more points as the season progresses. Arguably, the biggest surprise for the Kings this season is how good Corey Perry has been for them. After being sidelined by an injury in September, the 40-year-old did not let it slow him down, as he has 13 points in 17 games and is tied for second on the Kings in goals. Lastly, the captain, Anze Kopitar, is still a top leader for the Kings in his last season. He has 12 points in 23 games thus far and still looks to be a solid top 6 option for the Kings. SOLID KINGS FORWARDS While not all Kings forwards have been playing their absolute best hockey, a few have been reliable for the Kings thus far. One King forward who has been very solid for the Kings this season is Joel Armia, who has primarily played on the bottom 6. He hasn't let that stop him, as he has 11 points in 23 games and is a key depth piece for the Kings. Alex Laferriere has been a solid player for the Kings this season. While he is young, he has registered 10 points in 23 games, and despite being shifted up and down the lineup, it's only a matter of time before he establishes himself as a solid top-6 forward. Phillip Danault has been a solid forward for the Kings, but not because of his offensive game, as he has 4 points in 23 games, but his leadership and defensive game have allowed the Kings to use him on the penalty kill and be a solid player on the back end. His plus-minus this season is a +2, and with him primarily on the 3rd line, he can help the Kings' depth and defence now and as the season progresses. Warren Foegele has played solidly so far this season for the Kings, especially given that he's a bottom-6 guy. In 18 games, he has 4 goals while playing primarily on the 3rd and 4th line. Foegele is also a great defensive player for the Kings this season, as he and Danault are on the first penalty kill line. Foegeles' depth role works very well for the Kings, and if they need to move him up or down the lineup, he can play strong hockey either way. Alex Turcotte has been in a weird situation: not disappointing but not super solid either. As a Kings forward this season, he's averaging 9 minutes and has scored only 3 points in 22 games. While he hasn't been bad this year, he has been held back. From his play, he definitely has more to give, but hasn't yet been given the chance to showcase it. DISAPPOINTING KINGS FORWARDS The first King forward on this list is Trevor Moore, and while I would not say he has been bad so far this season, he has 7 points in 22 games. Still, it's because he is playing the top 6 minutes with the team, even though he's only 30 years old. I do believe that his game will pick up. I would just put him in this category because of where he plays the most in the Kings' lineup. Lastly, the most disappointing Kings player so far this season has been Andrei Kuzmenko. Kuzmenko has 7 points in 20 games with the Kings and has been scratched 3 times this season. Kuzmenko started the season on the first line with Kopitar and Kempe, as his play last season with the Kings showed he still had top-line potential, as he registered 17 points in 22 games after being traded from the Philadelphia Flyers. While there are still plenty of games left to play, the Kings need Kuzmenko to play better moving forward as they look to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While all of these rankings can change in the future, the Kings have had strong forward play so far this season, and if they can keep it up, they could be a lock for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
