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Kings off-season review: The NHL’s oldest team got even older this summer

Photo credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Sep 19, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 19, 2026, 14:09 EDT

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The Los Angeles Kings just love being mediocre.

After winning Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, the Kings rebuilt and picked 11th or higher in four of five drafts from 2017 until 2021. Returning to the playoffs in 2022, the Kings fell in seven games to the Oilers. Then they lost in six to the Oilers in 2023, five to the Oilers in 2024, and six again to, you guessed it, the Oilers, in 2025.

Last season, the Kings also had the distinction of playing in 33 regular season games that went to overtime, the most in NHL history. If you went to a Kings’ game last season, there was a 40% chance you’d be getting free hockey. Unsurprisingly, their 20 overtime/shootout losses also set a record.

However, the loser point just helped them squeak into the playoffs, managing a four-point cushion over the St. Louis Blues. By nabbing the eighth seed, the Kings even managed to avoid the Oilers in the 2026 postseason, instead having the honours of being swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

So the big question is: where do they go from him?

What major acquisitions did the Kings make this off-season?

The simple answer to that question is the retirement home (in terms of hockey years).

Their biggest move came during the season, acquiring 34-year-old forward Artemi Panarin and locking him up to a two-year extension shortly after. Also before the trade deadline, the Kings acquired 32-year-old Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs, re-signing him the day free agency opened on July 1st.

One player they traded before the deadline was Corey Perry, sending him to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a pick. Well, they re-signed the 41-year-old to a one-year deal worth $1 million. Sticking with players formerly in the Oilers organization, the Kings also handed 34-year-old Erik Gustafsson a 1×1 deal.

Gustafsson was one of two players named Erik that the Kings signed this off-season, as they signed 35-year-old Erik Haula to a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $3.6 million. Haula still had a productive 2025-26, scoring 14 goals and 38 points in 81 games with the Nashville Predators.

Similarly, 39-year-old Mats Zuccarello scored 15 goals and 54 points in 59 games last season for the Minnesota Wild. When Ken Holland has a chance to sign a player over the age of 30, he’s going to do it, as Zuccarello signed a one-year deal worth $1 million.

The team did make one big move this summer, naming Peter Laviolette head coach. They’ll hope he can help them break through.

Which key players departed the Kings this off-season?

The Kings’ biggest loss this off-season was their captain, Anže Kopitar. This article has taken a “what the heck is Ken Holland doing” tone, but respect where it’s due: Kopitar was a hell of a player.

Drafted 11th overall by the Kings in 2005, the Slovenian scored 452 goals and 1,316 points in 1,521 career games. In the postseason, he added 27 goals and 89 points in 107 games, helping the Kings win the Cup in 2012 and 2014.

On top of hoisting the two Cups over his head, Kopitar won three Lady Byng Trophies and two Selke Trophies. With a résumé like that, Kopitar is basically a lock to have his name in the Hockey Hall of Fame as soon as he’s eligible.

What a career, but it’s also a sizable loss for the Kings. He wasn’t as productive as he was in the last three years, scoring just 12 goals and 38 points, but his leadership alone is a big loss. Perhaps that’s why the Kings signed all those veterans.

The other notable loss this off-season was Andrei Kuzmenko, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last season, he scored 13 goals and 25 points in 52 games, after scoring five goals and 17 points in 22 games after the Kings acquired him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. He’s had an odd career since coming over from the Kontinental Hockey League

Kyle Burroughs signed with the Dallas Stars, Phoenix Copley signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Mathieu Joseph signed with the Oilers, and Jeff Malott signed with the Anaheim Ducks.

The Kings’ 2026-27 outlook

All of their notable off-season acquisitions/trade deadline re-signees are 32 or old. Panarin, Laughton, Perry, Gustafsson, Haula, and Zuccarello join a core featuring a 30-year-old Adrain Kempe, 30-year-old Kevin Fiala, 31-year-old Trevor Moore, 33-year-old Joel Armia, 36-year-old Drew Doughty, 33-year-old Joel Edmundson, 32-year-old Cody Ceci, 35-year-old Brain Dumoulin, and 36-year-old Darcy Kuemper.

There’s still some youth on the team, as Mikey Anderson is 27 years old and Brandt Clarke is 23 years old. Up front, Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere are both 24, while Samuel Helenius is 23.

But man, this Kings’ rebuild may go down as one of the worst in NHL history. They had four picks in five years that were selected 11th or higher, yet haven’t gotten out of the first round since the rebuild ended. Don’t expect anything different in 2026-27, that is if they make it with young teams like the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks hungry to make it.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @Ryley__Delaney.

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