For the first time in the past few weeks this fall in the regular season, the Los Angeles Kings have been on home ice at Crypto Arena this week for a long stretch of home games in the Pacific Division. Jim Hiller and the Kings have earned points for the standings in the Pacific Division in the West in six out of the last seven games on the road.
Andrei Kuzmenko returns to the forward line with the top-six core for the Los Angeles Kings this fall
The goal is for Hiller and the Kings to keep building on the momentum from the six-game road trip in the Eastern Conference this past week in the East. Hiller and the Kings need to finish games in overtime and the shootout in the Pacific Division to get more points in the standings that are valuable.
Being able to get more points in the standings can give the Kings more cushion in the Pacific Division to separate themselves this fall.
Here are two ice-cold Kings' players a quarter of the way into the 2025-26 regular season this fall.
Warren Foegele, W
The third line for the Kings early this regular season hasn't been the same spark unit in the offensive zone and on both sides of the ice for LA and Hiller that they were last year in the West and in the Pacific Division. The special teams unit on the power play and the top-nine forward lines group have been dipping in production in the offensive zone early this regular season scoring the puck.
I think the slow start early this regular season for forward Warren Foegele will become more confident later this fall. Foegele ranks in the top eight on the team this season in high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes this fall (per Natural Stat Trick).
If the Kings can get going scoring the puck at even strength at 5-on-5 on the ice, Foegele's goal scoring should improve this fall.
This is the longest Foegele has gone to start a regular season without registering an assist on the stat sheet in his career in the league in the NHL.
Andrei Kuzmenko, W
This season has presented a similar trend as in the past couple of years in the West for forward Andrei Kuzmenko with the Kings, Vancouver Canucks, and Calgary Flames. Kuzmenko saw his playing time under Hiller with the Kings dip in the forward lineup in the past few weeks.
He was a healthy scratch for the Kings for a few games in the past couple of weeks during the six-game road trip in the East in early-to-mid November.
"Kuzy was such an important addition for our team last year and brought us so much both five-on-five and on the power play. And this year it's just, probably hasn't gone as well for him as he or we had expected."Jim Hiller on Andrei Kuzmenko
Kuzmenko was also taken off the top power play unit on special teams for the Kings and Hiller this fall, earlier in the regular season. In the two games back with the Kings this past week in the back-to-back contests against the Bruins and the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and Friday night, Kuzmenko didn't play over 17 minutes on the ice for LA.
I have full confidence in Kuzmenko finding his groove scoring the puck in the offensive zone for the Kings this regular season in the West. He draws attention and creates scoring opportunities in the offensive zone for his teammates, especially with the power play unit on special teams.
Kuzmenko doesn't have any multi-point games for the Kings this regular season in the past 17 games in a row for LA.