The Kings have reached the playoffs four years in a row but have not gotten past the first round.
With depth and talent, they've fallen behind Pacific division rivals like Edmonton and Vegas.
This season is a crossroads — roster changes, new GM, contracts, and a new mix of youth/veterans leave the Kings with giant questions that will decide if they finally make that next step.
Same Old Kings, or a New Chapter?
The Kings enter 2025–26 with a mix of optimism and skepticism. Kopitar's guidance is steady, Doughty continues to patrol the blue line, and the lineup has been strengthened with veterans who know how to win in the playoffs.
Many experts and fans believe it’s time for the Kings to move on from Kopitar and Doughty, given their age and ability don’t align with their current depth chart positions. At this point, Kopitar is a low-end 2C in his career, and Doughty is just a solid second-pairing guy at this point in his career.
In contrast, giant questions — depth scoring, balance on the blue line, goaltender stability, young player development, and coaching adjustment — hover over the team.
If the Kings can answer yes to even a handful of these questions, they have the pieces to make a deep playoff push. Otherwise, they risk being the NHL version of déjà vu: good enough to get in, but never good enough to get out.
HBD QB 🥳 pic.twitter.com/AAeXPKfEBY
— LA Kings (@LAKings) August 19, 2025
Can Jim Hiller Push the Right Buttons?
Behind the bench, head coach Jim Hiller has his proving ground. The Kings have been criticized the last couple of years for failing to make in-game adjustments, particularly in playoff series when the same issues — neutral zone breakdowns, stagnant power play — plagued them again.
It was especially ugly this last postseason when the Kings had a 2-0 series lead and blew multiple leads in the third period, when they were leading for most of the game until it came down to the clutch.
Special teams, particularly, need to be worked on. The Kings' last season was at the bottom of the league in power-play efficiency, but they struggled at generating zone entries against organized defenses. The penalty kill, a one-time strength, is now middle-of-the-pack.
For the Kings to advance, Hiller will have to figure out how to draw the best out of his team's mix of older vets and youthful speed, as well as out-coach their opponents in X’s and O’s.
Can the Kings Finally Put Their Scoring Problems to Rest?
The Kings' offense has been defined by structure and possession — and not explosiveness. They finished last season in the top 10 in the NHL overall and were unable to generate high-danger scoring chances against elite defensive units.
In the playoffs, the issue worsened. The Kings managed a paltry 2.4 goals per game in the series against Edmonton as stars Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe were unable to break through consistently.
This offseason, the Kings brought in Corey Perry and Joel Armia, postseason veterans with scoring depth, to augment the offense. Alex Laferriere, who inked a three-year, $12.3 million deal, is expected to step into a top-six position.
The question is whether this team can muster enough secondary scoring to support Kopitar, Kempe, and Fiala. Without that, the Kings' ceiling on offense remains limited.
Is the Defense Built to Last?
The blue line has been anchored for years by Drew Doughty, but he's now 35 and entering the back half of his career. While still sound, the Kings have depended on him for first-pair minutes heavily, often leaving depth liabilities bare.
To address this, LA signed Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci in free agency — stoic, stay-home defensemen who can play minutes and bring playoff acumen. Neither is a true game-breaker, though, so the question remains as to whether the Kings have enough mobility and puck-movement on the back end to keep up with high-scoring attacks like Edmonton or Colorado.
The highlight will also be on Brandt Clarke, the 22-year-old former first-round pick, who should be an even more significant contributor.
If Clarke can be a reliable top-four defenseman, it has the potential to transform the appearance of LA's defense entirely. If not, the group may still lag behind the West's elite.
Will the Youth Break Through?
For some time, the Kings have boasted one of the league's stronger crops of prospects. Now, it's time for those prospects to deliver.
Alex Laferriere is the most glaring case in point. A one-time dark horse, he linked a lucrative extension over the summer after showing top-six potential. The Kings will need him to mature from a complementary player into one who can be a feared scorer.
On the blue line, Brandt Clarke needs to leap, and Samuel Helenius will be watched closely at camp as a bottom-six center with size and penalty killing.
If these guys can evolve into larger roles, the Kings will possess the young strength needed to complement their veteran core. If not, the club is at risk of depending too heavily on veterans who can no longer carry the load throughout an 82-game season.
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