The Los Angeles Kings lost a couple of key parts of the forward group to free agency this offseason, including wingers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jeff Malott.
While both Kuzmenko and Malott weren't likely to return to the Kings this summer, based on the reporting and rumors we heard before free agency this past week, there are still some gaps in the roster lineup that other players need to fill this upcoming season for new head coach Peter Laviolette and staff.
With Kuzmenko gone, the Kings lose one of the most creative forwards offensively, along with a player who became an important contributor on special teams on the power play after arriving in LA a couple of seasons ago.
The Los Angeles Kings are counting on these forwards to help replace Kuzmenko's scoring and playmaking
Here are three Kings' players who must step up in Kuzmenko's absence in the forward group this upcoming season.
Kevin Fiala
Kevin Fiala is already known as one of the Kings' top offensive playmakers, but replacing Kuzmenko's production and impact in the zone will require a big season from the winger.
The Kings had to deal with the stretch run of this past regular season without Fiala's services, who suffered a leg injury while playing for Team Switzerland in a Winter Olympics game in Italy this past February.
Getting to reunite with former Minnesota Wild veteran winger Mats Zuccarello this upcoming season could also help Fiala find a spark offensively. Fiala and Zuccarello played together for a couple of seasons with the Wild in the early 2020s.
It goes without saying that the Kings need Fiala to be healthy and productive to boost the offensive. Fiala is one of the top offensive playmakers the Kings have in the roster lineup, and he'll be counted on to deliver as one of the team's top scorers in the zone.
Trevor Moore
After winger Trevor Moore scored a career-high 31 goals and 57 total points in the 2023-24 season, he's struggled to match that production in the last couple of years for the Kings.
This past season saw Moore step up down the stretch for the Kings, scoring 16 points in the season's final 24 games, including six goals and one game-winning goal.
If Moore can rise to the occasion for the Kings this upcoming season and continue the momentum he built offensively down the stretch this past regular season, he could regain that form of being a 20 or 30-goal scorer in the middle six of the lineup. In that case, the Kings could feel much less of an impact offensively this upcoming season from Kuzmenko's departure.
Mats Zuccarello
The Kings are getting a player who can instantly spark the offense and bring a top-six playmaker to the forward group this upcoming season in Zuccarello.
Zuccarello has the chance to make the biggest immediate impact of any of the unrestricted free agents the Kings have signed so far this offseason. His puck movement and playmaking ability can help take the Kings offense to the next level this upcoming season.
This past season, Zuccarello registered over 50 points in just 59 games played for the Wild. He also registered five game-winning goals, which was one-third of the total goals he scored this past regular season.
Comapred to Moore and Fiala, Zuccarello was brought in to the fold specifically to add top-six playmaking in the roster lineup. His hockey IQ, vision, and passing ability (not to mention his chemistry with Fiala) makes him the player potentially the most capable of replacing the offensive creativity and playmaking Kuzmenko brought.
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