Center Sammy Helenius didn't make the opening night roster for the Los Angeles Kings this past regular season.
In the season's first couple of months, Helenius only played three games for the Kings under former head coach Jim Hiller. Most of the games he played in October and November for the Kings were because he was suiting up for the injured Anze Kopitar at the time.
However, in the regular season's final five months, Helenius was a regular in the roster lineup for the Kings. He played over 50 games this past regular season, only missing a handful of contests due to injuries.
Sammy Helenius' performance for the Los Angeles Kings in the 2025-26 season
In the 2025-26 regular season, Helenius scored five goals, four assists, and nine total points in a career-high 53 games played for the Kings. He also played in all four postseason games for the Kings in the first round vs. the Colorado Avalanche.
Like the 2024-25 season, Helenius continued to work his way into a steadier role in the middle of the lineup on the fourth line.
This past season, Helenius wasn't being asked to be a play driver offensively. His value came from providing depth, winning puck battles, finishing checks, and giving the Kings a reliable and physical presence on the fourth line.
He's established himself as a dependable bottom-six center for the Kings in the last couple of seasons.
Helenius ranked in the top three on the team in hits and led the team in hits/60. Although his offensive production was modest, four out of his five goals either tied the game on the scoreboard in eventual Kings' wins or opened the scoring, highlighting his tendency for timely contributions on the score sheet.
Defensively, Helenius was a pretty consistent and reliable player for the Kings. He plays a physical brand of hockey and utilizes his length well to get his stick in passing lanes and help to disrupt opposing puck carriers in the defensive zone.
The areas where Helenius still needs to show improvement are his faceoff percentage (well below 50 percent this past regular season), finding more ways to contribute offensively and late in games in clutch time in the third period, and on special teams.
2025-26 Season Grade: B
What to expect from Sammy Helenius moving forward with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2026-27 season?
Since the Kings signed Helenius to a two-year contract extension deal (which pays him roughly $875K in average annual value through the end of the 2027-28 season), he is expected to be the team's fourth-line center going into the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The Kings' front office did a good job of retaining Helenius for another couple of seasons on an affordable, low-risk deal. Assuming Helenius can grow into a bigger role offensively, improve in the faceoff circle, and maybe even score double-digit goals this upcoming regular season, he could be a pivotal bottom-six player for the Kings.
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