In a little over 24 hours, the Los Angeles Kings and head coach Jim Hiller will open up the upcoming 2025-26 regular season on the road against head coach Jared Bednar and the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Tuesday night (Oct. 7). The Kings have a few outstanding roster questions going into the opener for the regular season tomorrow against the Avalanche in Colorado.
Los Angeles Kings open up a high-stakes regular season for this campaign vs. the Colorado Avalanche at home early this week
There are a few injuries Hiller and the Kings are dealing with going into the regular season opener tomorrow against the Avs, including forward Alex Laferriere and defenseman Kyle Burroughs.
The Kings finished the preseason this past weekend with a 5-4 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks at Crypto Arena on Saturday. Kings' fans got a good look at the projected lineup for this upcoming season in the past couple of preseason games this past week against the Ducks and Utah Mammoth on the road.
Here are three bold predictions for the regular season opener for the Kings vs. Avalanche at home at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, on Oct. 7.
Anze Kopitar keeps the streak alive of multi-goal games in the season opener
This will be a great moment for legendary Kings' center Anze Kopitar in his last home opener for the regular season this upcoming year for LA, after winning two Stanley Cups and multiple Lady Byng Awards.
Kopitar highlights a top forward line unit that brings a lot of firepower and skill and playmaking for Hiller and the Kings this fall in the upcoming season. Kopitar and winger Adrian Kempe led the Kings in points this past season for the team. They combined for 140 points and over 55 goals this past season in the West.
"The unit is the exact same one that we finished off last year, and in the playoffs, our percentage was pretty good, you know, that was last year, this is this year, so we got to work on it a little bit more. Just really fine timing with it, and we'll use these next two games for that."Anze Kopitar
Kopitar has been great for the Kings in regular season openers in the 2020s decade in the past five years in LA. He's scored multiple points in the regular season opener in three years this decade (since the 2020-21 season).
This past season, Kopitar scored a hat trick, including multiple third-period goals in clutch time, in the Kings' multi-goal win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Kings hold Nathan MacKinnon scoreless in terms of points
Center Nathan MacKinnon is one of the great scorers and offensive producers in the NHL. He's led the Avalanche on multiple deep playoff runs in the past few years in the 2020s decade in the postseason, including winning the Stanley Cup Championship a few years ago in 2022.
MacKinnon scored over 100 points in back-to-back-to-back seasons for the Avs in the Central Division (since 2022-23).
The Avs are considered one of the Stanley Cup contenders from the Western Conference this upcoming season in the Central Division. MacKinnon and superstar defenseman Cale Makar are at their peak years of their career in the league in the NHL this upcoming season.
Jeff Malott on the active roster with fourth-line forwards vs. Colorado tomorrow
The battle for the opening-night roster for the Kings pitted Jeff Malott with Samuel Helenius, Akil Thomas, Taylor Ward, and Liam Greentree. Malott was great for the Kings in the preseason this fall. He scored a team-high five points, two goals, and one game-winning goal this fall in the preseason.
The Kings' fourth line is deep and experienced this upcoming season. Hiller and the Kings' coaching staff have veterans like winger Corey Perry (once he returns from the knee injury later this regular season for the Kings), winger Joel Armia, centers Alex Turcotte and Helenius, and Malott on the wing.
Malott and Armia were both good for the Kings in training camp and the preseason this fall. The former of those two Kings' wingers earned his way onto the opening-night roster for Hiller and Co. tomorrow vs. the Avs at home.