The first day of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft is finally here for general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings have enough draft picks to be pretty aggressive if the right opportunity surfaces this weekend. Whether that means moving up on the draft board, trading back, or using the No. 17 pick in a deal for immediate roster help, the Kings have several realistic options entering draft night this evening.
There is also the chance that the Kings want to trade for a player who can help upgrade the roster lineup for this upcoming season. That scenario seems much more likely than the Kings trying to trade one of their key impact players on the roster for a draft pick this offseason.
Ken Holland can reshape both the Los Angeles Kings' prospect pipeline and roster on draft night
A run of defensemen will probably happen for a few consecutive picks in the top 10 in the first round of the draft this weekend. But this draft class is definitely forward heavy, which could help the Kings address key roster needs early this offseason.
Here are three possible draft-day trade scenarios that could be realistic for the Kings with the 17th overall pick in the first round this weekend.
Trade down with Philadelphia
Especially if there's still a quality center prospect left on the draft board later in the first round in the early 20s, it makes sense for the Kings to trade down and pick up other assets in the process from a team like the Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and/or the Boston Bruins.
I think if the Kings still have the chance to pick a prospect like Finnish center Oliver Suvanto and/or Boston University center Ilya Morozov in the early 20s, they should leap at the chance to trade down and pick up some extra future assets in the process.
Trade up to No. 10
The scenario where a high-end prospect to the Kings and director of amateur scouting Mark Yannetti slides down the draft board today in the first round is pretty realistic. Once the Kings see a player they like slip into the second half of the lottery, there is a real possibility that the front office tries to make a move and trade up in the draft order.
This forward class of prospects is absolutely loaded in the 2026 draft. The likely top two picks in the draft in the first round this weekend will probably both be wingers, Penn State's Gavin McKenna and Sweden's Ivar Stenberg.
If Boston University center Tynan Lawrence is still available in the first round of the draft lottery at No. 10, I think it's definitely worth it to pick up the phone and ask Nashville what it would take to move up in the draft order for the Kings, especially if a prospect of Lawrence's caliber is available at the center position. Holland and the Kings have the picks necessary in the second round of the draft to move up on the board today.
Trade out of the first round and add depth to improve the current roster
It's a known priority for Holland and the Kings this offseason that they want to improve the roster lineup to compete for the postseason under first-year head coach Peter Laviolette this upcoming season. There is the possibility that the Kings trade their first-round draft pick this weekend to find a player that can help improve the roster lineup this upcoming season.
If the Kings can acquire a proven and impact-ready top-six center or a scoring winger by moving the No. 17 pick in the first round, it's an option worth considering for Holland. Adding an established contributor in the league while addressing one of the team's biggest roster needs this offseason could ultimately provide more immediate value than selecting another prospect.
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