All the work that general manager Ken Holland has done this offseason to try and improve the Los Angeles Kings roster has drawn mostly positive reviews.
But the degree to which different outlets and fans view the Kings' offseason in this past couple of months or so varies depending on the perspective.
Sportsnet recently gave out its offseason grades around the Pacific Division this week, giving the Kings and Holland a pretty respectable mark after an aggressive summer that helped to reshape the roster and the coaching staff.
The Los Angeles Kings addressed some major needs this offseason
While the additions of new head coach Peter Laviolette, along with key veteran pieces like winger Mats Zuccarello and center Erik Haula raised expectations a bit, the grade also reflected the reality that plenty of questions remain for the Kings late this summer.
Laviolette gives the Kings an experienced voice to lead this team from behind the bench and to try and boost the offense and special teams on the power play entering the season. The forward group is also deeper and talented than it was at this same time last offseason, especially in terms of proven veteran players in the middle of the lineup.
Something else to remember to be optimistic about for the Kings going into this upcoming season is that star forward Artemi Panarin will be playing a full season in the black and silver for the first time. The combination of the firepower the Kings added to the top six with Zuccarello, and having Panarin for a full season should improve the team's offense this upcoming season.
The biggest questions weren't completely solved
That said, the Kings haven't solved every need and outstanding question they had on the roster early this summer. The Kings and Holland won't be able to replace Anze Kopitar in just one offseason. And the front office still hasn't added another puck-moving defenseman on the blue line this offseason.
Five straight first round playoff exits still looms large over Holland and the Kings and it makes it more difficult to give the team the benefit of the doubt. The Kings still need to show the offense can improve over the course of a full season, especially on special teams on the power play.
This grade from Sportsnet feels like a sensible reflection of where the Kings are at going into the 2026-27 season. While the Kings definitely improved this offseason in many areas of the roster, especially with the forward group, improvement alone doesn't make a team a Stanley Cup contender.
The Kings might have raised their ceiling on paper a bit, but now they'll have to prove those changes are enough to finally move beyond the first round next postseason.
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