A difficult path for the Los Angeles Kings and interim head coach DJ Smith in the postseason in the playoffs in the West this upcoming weekend begins on Sunday afternoon (April 19) this spring in Round 1 vs. the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings and Smith and the coaching staff need the entire team in the active roster lineup to step up in the postseason in the playoffs this weekend on Sunday in the Mile High City this spring.
Which players must step up offensively for the Los Angeles Kings in the postseason in the playoffs vs. Colorado in Game 1 this weekend?
It's clear that the Kings need their most important players in the active roster lineup, including center captain Anze Kopitar, and star wingers Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin, to step up. But Smith and the Kings' coaching staff on the bench needs the top-nine forward lines core group and the blue line on defense to step up in this next upcoming couple of weeks on the ice in the West vs. Colorado in this upcoming postseason.
Quinton Byfield, F
No Kings' player at the center position in the active roster lineup finished this past regular season in the West in the Pacific Division that was hotter scoring the puck offensively than forward Quinton Byfield. This past regular season in the West didn't see Byfield meet the expectations he had this past fall in the preseason offensively for the 2025-26 campaign in the last few months.
Byfield is expected to be the center position player for the Kings who steps up next regular season in the West to succeed Kopitar for the top forward line group up front for the team in the 2026-27 campaign.
In this past three games in the last regular season games, Byfield registered four goals and five total points in the Pacific Division for the Kings.
Artemi Panarin, W
Ken Holland and the Kings in the front office made a huge headline on the trade block at the deadline this past February a couple of months ago to get Panarin from the Rangers from New York in the East to make for a huge moment in time. The Kings got over the hump in the postseason in the playoffs this spring largely because of the boost Panarin gave the team offensively in the zone.
We know that the Kings need star players in the active roster lineup offensively in the zone, like Panarin, to step up and rise to the occasion, scoring the puck this upcoming postseason in the playoffs for LA. Panarin and Kempe were two of the top five best players this past regular season in the West in the Pacific Division for the Kings in wins above replacement (per jfreshhockey).
Anton Forsberg, G
Goalie Darcy Kuemper had his struggles down the stretch this past regular season in the West in the Pacific Division in this past few weeks on the ice. Like Byfield, goalie Anton Forsberg stepped up and proved himself worthy of being the starter in the active roster lineup defensively in the zone for the Kings this past regular season in the West.
In this past couple of weeks in the West, Forsberg was named the NHL's First Star of the Week. He won four of this past five starts this past regular season in this past couple of weeks for the Kings defensively.
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