The Los Angeles Kings and new general manager Ken Holland prioritized adding more proven experience and depth on key lines on the projected roster for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign during this offseason.
Can the Los Angeles Kings make it over the postseason first-round hump in the playoffs in the West in 2026?
Holland and the Kings added experience and depth with proven veteran signings this past free agency cycle, highlighted by adding former Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks 40-year-old winger Corey Perry. The one-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Hart Trophy winner with the Ducks, Perry, ended up coming over from his time in Edmonton after Holland was hired by the Kings earlier this summer.
The Kings added around a half-dozen new signings to the projected roster for the upcoming 2025-26 regular season for just over $15.5 million.
Free agency didn't yield promising results from high-impact signings that the Kings were looking to raise the bar for the postseason this upcoming season. High-profile star free agents like Mitch Marner and Brad Marchand opted to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers, respectively.
The Kings are looking to get over the hump in the postseason against the Oilers next season in the spring. But the lack of truly impactful star free agent signings makes it difficult to see the Kings moving the needle enough with the roster moves this offseason to make a bigger postseason run for the 2025-26 campaign in the West.
This current Kings roster is built to win now, with veterans like Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Adrian Kempe either coming up on contract years soon or battling injury issues recently last season.
There is doubt concerning the Kings' ability to get the necessary scoring punch out of the top-six forward group and the depth loss to the blue line unit with veteran Vladislav Gavrikov signing with the New York Rangers this summer.
Cooper Krigbaum of The Hockey Writers isn't buying the offseason moves Holland made for the Kings' projected roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Krigbaum apprehends his postseason first-round thoughts for the Kings with depth and scoring concerns up front for this team.