In just a few weeks, the Los Angeles Kings are expected to begin training camp and practice skating for the preseason this fall. The projected roster and lines for this upcoming season for head coach Jim Hiller and the Kings are starting to come into focus, going into training camp later this month in late September.
Training camp is under a month away for Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings
All the move made by new Kings general manager Ken Holland and the LA brass need to improve the roster for this coming postseason in the spring of 2026. The Kings added multiple players in free agency earlier this summer who bring more physicality and proven experience to the forward lines and the defensive core on the blue line.
Hiller and the Kings also need some younger players to step up and rise to the occasion this upcoming season in the West.
Samuel Helenius, C
The big and physical 6-foot-6 and 205-pound center, Samuel Helenius, brought grit and physicality to the Kings' training camp practices and scrimmages last fall for the 2024-25 season. Helenius was singled out for his physicality and grit last fall in training camp, earning him a roster spot with the Kings going into the last regular season in the 2024-25 campaign.
Helenius is an easy pick among the Kings players on this list who could earn a roster spot coming out of training camp and the preseason, given that he played 50 games for LA this past regular season. He also played every game for the Kings in the postseason in the first round against the Edmonton Oilers.
Going into training camp and the preseason, expect Helenius to compete with Alex Turcotte and Akil Thomas for the fourth-line center spot on the bottom six forward lines for Hiller and the Kings.
Kyle Burroughs, D
Last summer in the 2024 offseason, the Kings acquired defenseman Kyle Burroughs from the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division. Burroughs played in 33 games this past regular season for the Kings. He mainly served in the seventh or eighth defenseman role for the Kings' blue line last season.
Burroughs brings veteran experience to the Kings' blue line. He's able to play both sides on defense, and he's had experience playing for multiple playoff teams in the West in the 2020s decade in the past few years.
The two Kings defensemen who will compete for the spot as that seventh defender on the blue line for LA this upcoming season to provide depth are Jacob Moverare and Burroughs.
Since Burroughs is going into the final year of his current contract with the Kings, the front office and Hiller might be more willing to give Moverare more minutes as the seventh defenseman for LA this upcoming regular season.
Akil Thomas, C
Going into the 2024-25 campaign in the West, center Akil Thomas had promising expectations for the Kings in the preseason. Thomas had a solid 2023-24 campaign with the Kings' AHL affiliate, scoring career highs in goals (22) and total points (46) in that season in the minors.
Thomas saw his role dwindle with the Kings after a sluggish start to the preseason scoring. Most of his 25 games played were in the first half of this past regular season for LA. Thomas only made inconsistent appearances in the lineup for the Kings last season, scoring one goal and two assists in 26 games played.
This preseason and training camp will be huge for Thomas to show that he has improved and can contribute consistently to the Kings' forward unit on the projected roster for this upcoming season.