The Los Angeles Kings enter the offseason in the next couple of months facing several important decisions that could shape the future of the franchise.
In this past half decade or so, the Kings have been very competitive in the Pacific Division in recent years, but the fans are getting impatient after five straight postseason exits in the first round of the playoffs. The Kings and general manager Ken Holland must be ready to take that next step as a franchise in the West this upcoming 2026-27 season.
Based on what we see in the roster, it makes sense for the Kings to make moves to improve the depth and talent in the core forward lines group this offseason. I think while the Kings have some bad contracts on the cap sheet this summer, the cap situation is really important for the front office.
Holland and the Kings in the front office have the cap space and the flexibility to upgrade the roster lineup. The Kings need to find the right combination of signings in free agency, restricted free agency, and the upcoming NHL Entry Draft in the first round to make the right decisions for the roster in the long-term view.
It appears that the Kings have enough cap flexibility this summer to meaningfully upgrade the depth and talent in the active roster lineup. Much of the Kings’ flexibility could depend on whether the organization prioritizes another top-six center or focuses on extending younger core pieces such as Brandt Clarke.
We need to see the Kings and Holland upgrade multiple areas of the roster lineup simultaneously. I don't know how much hope there is at this point, but there is still a good reason to believe that the Kings can figure it out to get past the first round of the postseason in the playoffs.
If the Kings want to be more aggressive this upcoming offseason in free agency or on the trade block, the rising NHL salary cap gives them that leverage late this spring. The Kings need to go after impact players on the open market and in free agency this summer.
The Kings rank in the top 20 teams in the league in the NHL this offseason in cap space (according to Spotrac), with a little over $18 million in available cap space this summer.
The Kings likely need upgrades in multiple areas of the roster if they hope to finally move beyond the first round of the playoffs. That reality places even more significance on how effectively the organization uses its cap flexibility this summer.
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