A look at the 2026-27 Los Angeles Kings.
The Vancouver Canucks are just a few weeks away from kicking off the 2026–27 season. In honour of the upcoming campaign, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will be previewing Vancouver’s Pacific Division opponents. Today’s team is the Los Angeles Kings,.
Los Angeles Kings 2025–26 Season:
Record: 35–27–20
Division Ranking: 4th
Playoffs: First-Round Exit
Goals For: 220
Goals Against: 238
Power Play: 17%
Penalty Kill: 74.6%
2026 Off-Season Storylines:
The 2025–26 season was a notable one for the Kings, as long-time captain Anže Kopitar announced that he would be retiring from playing in the NHL after the season’s end. With the forward’s departure, Los Angeles suddenly finds themselves with a bit of a gap down the middle even despite bringing in Erik Haula and Mats Zuccarello via free-agency.
One big addition that the Kings also made during the 2026 off-season was naming Peter Laviolette their new Head Coach. The veteran NHL bench boss joined the organization in place of then interim Head Coach D.J. Smith, who has since been named an Associate Coach for the Edmonton Oilers.
Biggest Storyline For The 2026–27 Season:
Los Angeles is in a bit of an awkward position, as they’ve been able to qualify for playoffs every year since 2022, but they also haven’t made it past the first-round in any of those runs. While they do have some younger talent in Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Laferriere, for the most part, their main offensive drivers (Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, etc.) are near — if not already — 30. Realistically, the Kings could take advantage of a weakened Pacific Division and clinch another playoff spot in 2027, but with both the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks on the rise, their window of contention looks to be getting slimmer and slimmer.
Player To Watch:
With Kopitar no longer with the team, all eyes will fall on Byfield as Los Angeles’ main center. The forward has scored 20+ goals in his past three NHL seasons, also nearly registering 50 points per season during this span of time. He’ll be a player to watch for the Kings as they move into the post-Kopitar phase.
Key Additions:
- Forward Mats Zuccarello
- Forward Erik Haula
- Defenceman Erik Gustafsson
- Head Coach Peter Laviolette
Key Subtractions:
- Forward Anže Kopitar
- Forward Andrei Kuzmenko
Schedule Against The Canucks
- December 12 @ Los Angeles
- December 28 vs. Los Angeles
- March 23 vs. Los Angeles
- March 29 @ Los Angeles
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson (25) stick checks Los Angeles Kings forward Scott Laughton (21) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesMake sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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