In less than a month, the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland will make their first-round selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Following center captain Anze Kopitar's retirement, few organizational needs are bigger for the Kings than rebuilding their long-term depth at center. It's also imperative for Holland and the Kings to add more offensive talent to the prospect pipeline moving forward.
One prospect who has rapidly climbed draft boards this spring is Örebro U-20 center Alexander Command.
Los Angeles Kings need center depth and Alexander Command could provide a high-upside solution for the future
Command's upside makes him an intriguing fit for Los Angeles, particularly given the organization's long-term need at center. However, selecting a player whose draft stock has surged in recent months would also carry risk. The Kings cannot afford to miss on a first-round pick as they attempt to build the next core of the franchise following Kopitar's retirement.
Unlike rebuilding teams drafting near the top of the board, the Kings are selecting in a range where prospects often carry greater uncertainty. That reality makes balancing upside and safety one of the most important decisions facing Los Angeles on draft night.
The Athletic had the Kings picking Command 17th overall in the first round of their latest 2026 mock draft this offseason. Command makes a lot of sense for the Kings organizationally, but selecting a fast-rising prospect at No. 17 would still represent a significant gamble.
Targeting a center in the first round would be a logical approach for a Kings team searching for long-term stability down the middle. The Kings must replace Kopitar, and the prospect pipeline in the minor league and developmental organization for Los Angeles is pretty dry right now.
With the organization entering the post-Kopitar era and lacking elite center prospects in the pipeline, this year's first-round selection could become one of the most important draft picks of Holland's tenure.
Command would give the Kings a skilled center capable of driving play through the neutral zone while creating offense with his vision, speed, and puck skills.
Part of the intrigue surrounding Command is how quickly his stock has risen throughout the draft process. While that type of late momentum can signal a breakout prospect, it can also create uncertainty when teams attempt to determine whether a player is truly a first-round talent or simply benefiting from a strong final evaluation cycle.
While he may not be the flashiest center in the class, Command possesses the size, skill set, and two-way ability necessary to become a reliable long-term NHL center.
This comes a few weeks after an early-offseason mock draft for 2026 from The Athletic had the Kings reaching for right winger Elton Hermansson in the first round at No. 17 overall.
Unlike Hermansson, whose selection would have addressed wing depth, Command would directly target the organization's biggest long-term need at center. Whether Command ultimately becomes the selection or not, The Athletic's projection highlights an obvious reality for Los Angeles: rebuilding the organization's center depth has become one of the franchise's top priorities in the post-Kopitar era.
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