In this past couple of months, the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland have had a chance to reflect on what went wrong in the first-round loss in the postseason this spring to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Kings had more ups and downs this past regular season than most other teams in the Western Conference or the Pacific Division. Even though the Kings have become a consistent playoff team in recent years, Los Angeles has yet to advance past the first round during the 2020s.
Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Darcy Kuemper each have a chance to play major roles in helping the Los Angeles Kings take a step forward in 2026-27
Since the end of this past regular season, the Kings have seen the direction of the franchise shift significantly. Not only did franchise legend and center captain Anze Kopitar retire at the end of the 2025-26 season, but the Kings also hired former New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette to be the next full-time head coach in Los Angeles for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The combination of a new head coach and a strong finish to last season could be exactly what Byfield needs to take the next step. If he can build on the momentum he showed after the Olympic break, he has the potential to emerge as one of the Kings' most important players in 2026-27.
Here are three Kings' players who can bounce back in Los Angeles in the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Kevin Fiala, W
Before suffering the season-ending injury, standout scoring winger Kevin Fiala was one of the Kings' most productive forwards and remained one of the team's most dangerous scoring threats. A healthy return could give Los Angeles a major boost offensively without requiring any outside additions.
Fiala isn't on this list because he had a disappointing season. He's here because a healthy return, combined with a new head coach and a potentially rejuvenated top-six forward group, could help him reach another level offensively in 2026-27.
If Fiala returns healthy, the Kings could essentially be adding a top-line scorer without making a single offseason move.
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