The Kings kick off their 2025-26 campaign at home Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche, and for fans that watched their fourth consecutive ephemeral playoff appearance last year, much of the group will be familiar.
But a new season brings renewed expectations and a few fresh faces, the foremost among them being new general manager Ken Holland. Here is a glance at the group the man who once helped shape the Detroit Red Wings dynasty has assembled.
The core
Anže Kopitar, C
The two-time Stanley Cup winner and Kings captain since 2016 has accomplished all there is to accomplish as one of the preeminent two-way centers in NHL history and perhaps the most consecrated figure in Kings’ lore. Imminently, he’ll end his 20-year tenure in black and silver, and he’d love to do so in the summer rather than the spring.
Drew Doughty, D
Another career King and two-time Stanley Cup winner, Doughty missed significant time due to injury in 2024-25 for just the second time in his career, but also the second time in four seasons. He recovered from a broken ankle in time to win gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off for Canada, but seldom looked like himself after returning to the Kings. A recuperated, rejuvenated Doughty has to be the fulcrum of the defense corps following the departures of Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy in consecutive seasons.
Adrian Kempe, W
The man they call “Juice” is in a contract year and the last time he found himself in that position, his goal total catapulted from 14 to 35. Over the past four seasons, Kempe’s 139 goals tie him for 20th in the NHL with Pittsburgh icon Sidney Crosby and put him 39 goals ahead of Kopitar for the second-highest total on the roster. Kempe can play literally any position on the ice except goalie and his skill set is equally versatile.
Kevin Fiala, W
Fiala led the Swiss to silver at the World Championships for the second straight year. In three campaigns with the Kings, he’d compiled the second-highest goal and assist totals on the team and its best output on the power play. His skills and conditioning are elite, and last season Fiala appeared to diminish some of the poor habits that undermined his excellence at times.
Darcy Kuemper, G
Kuemper has had a sneakily superb career for a journeyman goaltender, winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 and finishing second in the Vezina Trophy voting last season, his first as the Kings’ starter in this his second stint with the club. A repeat performance could be a challenge for the 35-year-old, but he’s beaten long odds before.
Knocking on the door
Quinton Byfield, C; Brandt Clarke, D; Alex Laferriere, W
The bulk of Byfield’s 2023-24 season was a bright spot in an otherwise deflating campaign and while his numbers were nearly identical last year, his defensive game flourished even as he took on more responsibility. Clarke has shown immense offensive talent from the back end but has been constrained in terms of minutes and style to this point. Laferriere has been taking more reps at center and has room to grow across the three-year extension he signed this summer.
Steady contributors
Mikey Anderson, D; Phillip Danault, C; Trevor Moore, W; Warren Foegele, W
Anderson figures to pair with Doughty again and has developed into a masterful defender, capable of denying entries, shadowing top opponents and creating a wide-ranging impact. Danault’s defensive instincts and body position have remained exemplary even when his scoring has been lackluster, with running mate Moore creating pace and playing savvy defense. Last year, Foegele joined their line and fit in seamlessly.
Wild cards
Andrei Kuzmenko, W; Samuel Helenius, C; Jeff Malott, W; Alex Turotte, W
Turcotte could fill roles at wing and center as well in both the top and bottom six groups as the former top-five pick continues to resurrect a career derailed by injuries. The towering Helenius logged 50 games for the Kings last year and was a stark contrast to the diminutive Blake Lizotte as a fourth-line center. Malott had just a dozen games filling in for Tanner Jeannot but dressed in the playoffs and finds himself back in the mix again due to an injury. Kuzmenko played 22 games with the Kings, of which they won 17 and during which they exploded offensively, scoring the most goals in the league after the trade deadline.
New arrivals
Corey Perry, W; Joel Armia, W; Brian Dumoulin, D; Cody Ceci, D; Anton Forsberg, G
The once-reviled and currently injured Perry may look bizarre in a Kings’ sweater but his competitiveness, agitation and willingness to sacrifice his body won’t look out of place at all once he returns. Armia brings physicality and penalty-killing capability. Forsberg should be an upgrade over David Rittich behind Kuemper. Dumoulin and Ceci were perhaps the most controversial acquisitions, as for the same cost as the outgoing Gavrikov and Jordan Spence, they brought in more age, less offense and lower individual ceilings.