The Los Angeles Kings were eliminated in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers. Following that loss, the team moved on from general manager Rob Blake. In his place is a former Oilers decision-maker. The Kings tabbed Ken Holland as their next general manager.
Holland brings a ton of experience to the table. Most of his experience came with the Detroit Red Wings, where he won four Stanley Cups as an assistant and a general manager. With the Oilers, he led them to two Western Conference Finals appearances and a Stanley Cup Final. His Edmonton teams also eliminated Los Angeles in three straight postseasons.
Holland is ready to hit the ground running with Los Angeles. Few people around the game have seen the talent on this roster like he has. He believes this team has a chance to win a Stanley Cup. And he plans to go for broke as soon as he has his opportunity.
“I plan to be aggressive,” Holland said, via The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. “Ownership is prepared to go to the cap. The goal is to put a competitive team on the ice and, at the right time, be aggressive to try to make the team better and more exciting. Whether that happens in the next six to seven weeks or next year at the trade deadline or next offseason … but certainly the plan is to be aggressive at the right time.”
Ken Holland Believes in Current Kings Group
Harry How/Getty ImagesThe Los Angeles Kings have a talented roster already in place.
The Kings are certainly a good team. They have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs four years running. Holland does not believe this team is in need of some major rebuild. This includes the front office, which remains pretty much completely intact.
“I’m going to keep everybody,” Holland said, via LeBrun. “They had 105 points. They’ve gone through a retool. It was a wonderful job by Rob Blake and all the people around him. I mean, they’ve made the playoffs the last four years in a row.”
Holland also thinks rather highly of the players. His goal is not to tear anything down. He is going to support the group in place, which could potentially see the Kings go after a big name.
“It’s a good team,” Holland said. “There’s good veteran leadership on the team. There’s some good young kids that are on the come up. It’s L.A, it’s got a great history. It’s a great brand, it’s an entertainment capital. Hopefully I can make a few decisions and we can convince a player or two to come join us like we were able to do in Detroit and able to do in Edmonton.”
Los Angeles Has Financial Flexibility This Summer
This upcoming offseason certainly has the potential to be an explosive one across the NHL. And Los Angeles is positioned to be a major player. The Kings are projected to have $23 million in salary cap space for the 2025-26 campaign.
Some of this cap space will be invested in the team. Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is likely to command a significant pay day on the open market as a free agent, for instance. Keeping him around will likely cost a good amount of that cap space.
No matter what, Holland wants to be aggressive at the helm in Los Angeles. That could start this summer, whether at the NHL Draft or in NHL Free Agency. And he will have no shortage of potential blockbuster moves to make before the 2025-26 campaign.
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