Even though the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland made multiple additions to the roster lineup this offseason, there is still one question that looms over them going into the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Will the Kings and new head coach Peter Laviolette be able to generate enough offense to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender?
The Hockey Writers recently published a piece identifying this as the Kings' biggest question mark going into the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Why scoring remains the biggest question for the Los Angeles Kings
This is a legitimate concern for Laviolette and the Kings because the team ranked in the bottom five in the NHL in goals scored this past regular season. The Kings scored two or fewer goals in half of the regular season games they played last year. And the Kings were the only team to make the postseason this past season while scoring two or fewer goals in over 40 games.
Somehow, the Kings were able to make the playoffs last season while posting a negative score differential in the regular season. This past season proved that the Kings were way too reliant on a handful of scorers and lacked secondary scoring support when it mattered in clutch time in the final frame in the third period.
Another contributing factor to the Kings' scoring struggles this past season was the inconsistencies on special teams on the power play. The Kings ranked in the bottom five in the NHL this past regular season in power play efficiency.
Looking forward, there are more reasons for hope and optimism that the Kings' offense will pick up the pace scoring the puck this upcoming season. First, the Kings should be able to generate more scoring opportunities in the offensive zone next season with the firepower in the top-six forward group up front.
The Kings will have star forward Artemi Panarin for a full season to help improve the team's offensive production. And the addition of veteran former Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello gives the Kings another proven playmaker in the top six.
Potentially the biggest x-factor for the Kings this upcoming season is young center Quinton Byfield. If Byfield is able to make a significant offensive leap as the expected No. 1 center in the lineup, that would change the dynamics of the roster for the whole team.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention other potent scorers the Kings have in the top six, like wingers Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala. Kempe is coming off back-to-back 35-goal and 70-point seasons, and is the Kings' most reliable scorer.
A big key for the Kings this upcoming season will be whether the secondary scoring support improves. The Kings need the likes of Byfield to reach that 65-70 point mark at a minimum, and it would be big for the team to get another year of improvement offensively from Alex Laferriere.
The real concern surrounding the Kings' offense is pretty understandable after this past season's numbers. But this year's roster also has considerably more offensive talent than the one that struggled to score a season ago.
Whether that will be enough won't depend solely on Panarin and/or Kempe, it will depend on the continued development of the younger core of players and whether the Kings can generate offense throughout all 12 forwards.
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