The final position group we're looking at for the Los Angeles Kings in our season review and report cards is the goaltenders. It's time for us to review goalie Anton Forsberg in his first season with the Kings.
Forsberg started out this past regular season as the backup goalie for the Kings and finished it up as the starter in the playoffs. He had done well in the backup role behind Darcy Kuemper and ended up pushing into the starting role by the stretch run of this past regular season.
He was a big reason why the Kings made the playoffs this past spring and he made some games in the first round of the playoffs competitive and low scoring.
Anton Forsberg's performance for the Los Angeles Kings in the 2025-26 season
In the 2025-26 season, Forsberg registered a 16-12-5 record, a .909 save percentage, a 2.57 goals-against average, three shutouts, and 12.5 goals saved above expected. He also started all four postseason games in the first round vs. the Colorado Avalanche, posting a .909 save percentage, a 2.70 goals-against average, and 1.6 goals saved above expected.
Forsberg was not only one of the best goalies in the NHL this past season in stopping high-danger scoring opportunities, but he was also extremely effective and consistent at even strength at 5-on-5. He led all eligible NHL goalies this past season in high-danger save percentage and he ranked second in the league in goals saved above expected/60 at even strength (per Natural Stat Trick).
The stretch run of this past regular season was definitely the peak of Forsberg's performance in goal for the Kings. He got them across the playoff line in the month of April, posting a sparkling 5-1-0 record in six starts, a rock-solid .943 save percentage, a 1.48 goals-against average, and one shutout.
That one shutout for Forsberg in the month of April was a huge driver to the Kings getting into the playoffs in the Pacific Division, in a close 1-0 win over the division rival Edmonton Oilers on April 11.
For his efforts in the final weeks of the season, Forsberg was named the NHL's First Start of the Week on April 12.
Had it not been for Forsberg being a brick wall in net, the Kings probably wouldn't have come as close as they did to winning a couple of games in the postseason in the first round vs. Colorado.
In the first round's first three games, Forsberg held the NHL's top-scoring offense to under 2.5 goals scored per game while posting a save percentage north of .910. Unfortunately, though, some defensive lapses in the final frame in the third period in clutch time and offensive issues cost the Kings an opportunity to come out on top on the scoreboard in Games 1 and 2.
The only downside to Forsberg's play for the Kings this past season was the inconsistent start last fall. Forsberg was slow out of the gates for the Kings last fall in October and November before eventually finding more solid footing in the crease in the month of December.
He posted sub-.900 save percentages in October and November before taking advantage of an opportunity to get more starts in December, posting a .908 save percentage in seven starts that month.
2025-26 Season Grade: A
What to expect from Anton Forsberg moving forward with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2026-27 season?
Going into the upcoming 2026-27 season, Forsberg is under contract for one more year with the Kings. He signed a two-year contract in free agency with the Kings last summer and is now going into Year 2 in Los Angeles in training camp this fall.
The goalie situation is one of the bigger storylines going into training camp and the preseason this fall for the Kings. After Forsberg's outstanding play in net down the stretch last season, and Kuemper's performance declining after he was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2024-25, there is expected to be a battle for the starting goalie job this fall.
I think it's fair to say that with both Kuemper and Forsberg approaching contract years and the battle for the starting goalie job being wide open, both netminders are level entering the competition in a couple of months.
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