The Pacific Division could see the Los Angeles Kings and head coach Jim Hiller be a 100-point team this upcoming regular season. This past season, the Kings were a 105-point team that really impressed in the last regular season in the Western Conference.
The Hockey News tabs the Los Angeles Kings among the teams that could disappoint in the West in the upcoming campaign for the 2025-26 season
New LA general manager Ken Holland was busy earlier this offseason in the summer reshaping the projected roster for the upcoming season this fall, adding proven and experienced veterans in this past free agent cycle to the blue-line group and the forward lines.
Andre Leal of The Hockey News wrote in a piece posted on Sep. 16 that the Kings improving in the postseason in the Pacific Division is "not a sure thing" this season in 2025-26. Age and the free agent departures from the roster earlier this offseason in the summer are reasons why the Kings could take a step back this upcoming year.
The Kings and Holland signed proven veterans who can bring more experience and physicality in the upcoming postseason next spring in 2026, like wingers Corey Perry and Joel Armia from the Montreal Canadiens.
Holland and the Kings looked to players he was familiar with from past connections at past stops with the Edmonton Oilers a few years ago in the early 2020s.
The question for the Kings and Holland is whether the blue-line depth and forward scoring for the top-six group on the top two lines will get this team over the hump in the first round of the playoffs in the postseason in the West.
After letting Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence go to the Eastern Conference with a couple of teams in free agency early this offseason and a trade with the Ottawa Senators, the Kings are betting on adding defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci from the free agent market this summer.
LA has too much talent and depth with the top-nine forward core this upcoming season and with key players on the blue line and in the net to predict this team to miss the postseason in the 2025-26 campaign. The Kings have proven experience and postseason success from the last decade in the 2010s with leaders like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty on the blue line this season.
Kopitar, Doughty, and the Kings have entered a roster that has four players who will be over 35 years old for the projected roster for Hiller and LA this upcoming regular season in 2025-26. The young players have a lot of the depth and key roles on the projected roster for this season in the Pacific Division.