2025-26 Off Season Thread

[Kings4OT]

Staying pu most likely guys:

Dunno - I want to dislike him for low production, but really I knew he isnt a point getter really from the get. He is a great 3c imo and really seems to play well with the other guy on this heading. Only real ptoblem is his cap hit but hes done ok and has had tough assignments.

TENT - seems to go with Dunno, way small but can produce when healthy. Replaceable? Sure, but who and will it change anything? If you keep one may as well kerp the other I think


Otherones try to look at yomorrow

 

[PuckinUgly57]

This is why Teh Blog cracks me up. It's literally LGK 2.0. Yeah, let me leave my NHL job to coach the Reign.

I seriously can't make this stuff up.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Ya, hes gone. Cant talk shit on players and survive

Well that didnt take long.

Stars fire coach DeBoer after West finals loss

Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer was fired Friday after three seasons with the team, getting to the Western Conference finals each time but never advancing for a shot at the Stanley Cup.

www.espn.com

Expected too, can't say things like that about your franchise goalie who has been a huge reason why they've made the WCF the last three years.

I would be surprised if someone took a shot at him without a year or two having passed, kind of like how Quenneville went dark for a few years and then was hired by Anaheim recently.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Don't know how I missed this one, Caps defenseman Alexander Alexeyev was arrested and charged with a drunk in public after a fight outside a bar district on May 19. The Capitals were eliminated by the Canes on May 15, dude was letting loose for the summer it sounds like.

JUST IN: Washington Capitals player charged after incident in Clarendon | ARLnow.com

A Washington Capitals player was pepper sprayed and arrested in Clarendon early Saturday, ARLnow has learned. The incident happened around 3:30 a.m. Saturday on the 3100 block of Clarendon Blvd, amid Clarendon's bar district but well after closing time. According to scanner traffic, it took...

www.arlnow.com

That mug shot is awesome.

 

[Kings4OT]

Grabrikov 7 x 7.6....rather 5y for that

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Grabrikov 7 x 7.6....rather 5y for that

Where are you seeing this? Yeah 7 is a bit long for that amount.

 

[xis]

Didn't see this posted anywhere but Marco Sturm was hired by Boston as their head coach.
So HC opening for the Regin.

Sturm hired as Bruins coach, replaces Sacco | NHL.com

Was forward for Boston, will be NHL head coach for 1st time

www.nhl.com

Wasn't really particularly impressed by him in anyway but he seems to be highly regarded around the league.
All I remember is that he had a good run the Team Germany a few years back before the Kings hired him as an assistant coach.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Didn't see this posted anywhere but Marco Sturm was hired by Boston as their head coach.
So HC opening for the Regin.

Sturm hired as Bruins coach, replaces Sacco | NHL.com

Was forward for Boston, will be NHL head coach for 1st time

www.nhl.com

Wasn't really particularly impressed by him in anyway but he seems to be highly regarded around the league.
All I remember is that he had a good run the Team Germany a few years back before the Kings hired him as an assistant coach.

Meaning you don't remember his whopping 17 game stint as a King in 2010-11.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

L.A. Kings offseason: Who stays, who goes from the roster this summer?

How much will new GM Ken Holland change after the Kings' fourth consecutive first-round playoff loss?

www.nytimes.com

Should a team like the Los Angeles Kings, who have failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs for four consecutive years, go into the offseason with a “run it back” mindset? Or do the Kings need some different ingredients to create a winning playoff mix?

One path the Kings won’t head down is that of a rebuild. There won’t be any starting over. They wouldn’t have hired new general manager Ken Holland, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame with four Stanley Cup championships across his four decades as an NHL executive, to chart that kind of course.

“This is a real good, legitimate NHL team,” Holland said. “Got to keep it that way and then see, as we go forward, what I can do to pitch in and make them better, different.”

Just how different will the Kings be when they report for training camp? No hockey teams “run it back” completely, since there is bound to be some level of change. But this is a good time to look at which Kings will return and who could be going out the door.

The untouchable​

Brandt Clarke

If there was one true untouchable, it probably would be 2024 first-round pick Liam Greentree. But we’re talking about the current roster, and the closest to one here is Clarke. Not necessarily because of what the 22-year-old did this season – which, with 33 points to lead the defense, is still notable – but because of his profile and potential. He’s young and is a right-handed puck-mover with the potential to be a successor to Drew Doughty.

Not going anywhere​

Mikey Anderson

The Kings have Anderson, their steady shutdown defender, locked down for six more seasons at a team-friendly $4.125 million cap hit. The 26-year-old is about as rock-solid as it gets when it comes to play at his own blue line. His postseasons could be better, but he’s often drawn the assignment of going against either (or both) of Edmonton’s uber-duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Quinton Byfield

As a prospect, Byfield was considered an untouchable. You don’t trade a No. 2 overall pick unless you’re trying to get a modern-day superstar in his prime. Now we’re beyond that. Byfield, 22, is a full-fledged everyday center, and it’s still worth betting on his continued growth and upside after a 23-goal, 54-point season. He’s already been extended on a five-year contract. He isn’t moving … but he’d likely be the ask for a superstar in his prime.

Joel Edmundson

The ink had hardly dried on Edmundson’s four-year, $15.4 million contract before it was ridiculed by hockey fans and experts. It was considered an overpay for a third-pair, cross-checking defenseman who gets hurt a lot. Maybe that contract won’t age well, but Edmundson not only played in a career-high 73 games but was especially valuable in capably handling important second-pairing minutes while Doughty was sidelined for the first few months.

Warren Foegele

Foegele, 29, was a great addition to the Kings’ lineup. The winger ultimately settled in as a third-line force with linemates Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault, and he fit L.A.’s ethos in terms of hard-working, straight-line play with a no-nonsense vibe. Coming off a career 24-goal season, Foegele brings added value as a tenacious penalty-killer.

Kevin Fiala

The second half of Fiala’s 2024-25 season was much better than the first half, as the 28-year-old not only cleaned up his penchant for bad turnovers and penalties but flourished with Byfield as his regular center after being bounced around the year before. That was important for the unpredictable Fiala, who scored a career-high 35 goals to tie Adrian Kempe for the team lead.

Samuel Helenius

Helenius, 22, slides into this category because he’s still on his rookie contract while emerging as the Kings’ big-bodied fourth-line center. He played 50 regular-season games and all six in the playoffs after starting the season with AHL Ontario. He ranked second on the team with 150 hits, and coach Jim Hiller raved about his development. There’s always a place for young, cheap talent that can be effective in their roles.

Adrian Kempe

The Kings’ best player is set to become one of their most highly paid players as he enters the last season of a four-year, $22 million deal that he has easily outperformed. Kempe, 28, led the Kings in scoring for a second consecutive season. He added a team-leading 10 points in six playoff games. He’s in line for a home-run contract, and talks can begin on July 1.

Anže Kopitar

While Kopitar, 37, hasn’t said anything definitive about when he’ll end a career that’s destined to put him in the Hockey Hall of Fame, the signs remain that 2025-26 could be his final NHL season. He’s going to be a rare one-team star who holds franchise records, including likely passing Marcel Dionne as the all-time leading scorer next season.

Darcy Kuemper

The Kings quietly hoped returning to a place where he found success as a backup to Jonathan Quick would help Kuemper bounce back from a rough 2023-24 season in Washington. Instead, Kuemper, 35, was much more than a decent return for offloading Pierre-Luc Dubois’ contract. He had the finest season of his 13-year career, becoming a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time as L.A.’s clear No. 1 goalie.

Alex Laferriere

Laferriere, 23, improved from his rookie season and is coming up on his second contract. While he experienced major scoring droughts (one goal in 20 games, zero in another 17-game spell), Laferriere nearly reached 20 goals and continued to improve overall. “For me, I think the way my style of play is, I can be effective when I’m not scoring as well,” Laferriere said.

Jacob Moverare

The Kings have the good-natured Swede under contract for another season. Moverare, 26, split the season between Ontario and Los Angeles but suited up in 49 games with the Kings, the most in his five years with the organization. With the Kings, he has effectively stepped in when injuries hit their defense or when he plays limited minutes in an 11-7 formation.

Staying put, almost certainly​

Kyle Burroughs

Burroughs, 29, is signed for next season and again could fill a depth role on the right side. The veteran’s role was bound to change in L.A. after he played a lot for a terrible San Jose team – and indeed he experienced a drop in games (73 to 33) and time on ice (19:09 to 7:49) this season. He’s got the temperament to handle a limited role.

Drew Doughty

From the moment Doughty suffered an ankle fracture in the preseason, this was bound to be a challenging year. His minus-7 rating against the Oilers in the playoffs left a bad taste, but it would be shocking if Holland were to do something as drastic as buying out the final two years of his contract or trading the franchise legend. The Kings should start dialing back his minutes and hope time will push the 35-year-old back toward full health.

Jordan Spence

The Kings have the 24-year-old signed through next season before he becomes an arbitration-eligible RFA. Without question, Spence was disappointed with being relegated to a bit role against Edmonton after playing in all but three regular-season games. He should be part of their regular six next season. He’ll also have to work past being marginalized when the games really matter.

Alex Turcotte

Turcotte, 24, finally had the year he long desired at the NHL level, as he dressed in 68 games and provided some flashes of being an energetic play-driver who can jazz up a line and occasionally finish. The specter of injury may follow him as he moves forward in his career but the former No. 5 overall pick is moving forward at last.

Staying put, for another look​

Jeff Malott

Include Malott among the most surprising developments of the Kings’ season. The 28-year-old AHL veteran got promoted on March 26 after excellent work with the Reign and he stuck with L.A. through the postseason. He nearly scored his first NHL goal on multiple occasions. The 6-foot-5 winger is capable of being a physical element on the fourth line.

Akil Thomas

Thomas spent the entirety of this season with the Kings, but he often was the odd man out after a training camp that Hiller wasn’t fully satisfied with. The 25-year-old got in 25 games, but others were usually preferred on the fourth line, and Hiller’s 11-forward, seven-defender rotation was another obstacle. Unless he’d prefer a move to find a clearer path to NHL work, Thomas will be back.

Staying put … most likely?​

Phillip Danault

Some have floated Danault, 32, as a trade possibility if Holland feels like shaking up the core. He scored only eight goals this season, tying the lowest mark over an 82-game season since he became an everyday player. But it can be argued that he was their best player outside of Kempe against the Oilers. He’s got two years left on his contract and should be set as their 3C next season.

Trevor Moore

Moore, 30, was dealing with an injury that could be the main reason why he had just six goals in his first 40 contests. Better health led to more production, as he had 12 goals and 20 points over his final 31 games. “Down the stretch, I finally started feeling healthy, and that helps for sure,” he said. He’s got three more years left on his contract, but he doesn’t have a no-trade clause and he could be easier to move than others on the roster.

The toughest decisions​

Vladislav Gavrikov

Former GM Rob Blake strongly expressed confidence in re-signing Gavrikov, but it’s still not done as July 1 looms. Gavrikov, 29, was L.A.’s best defenseman this season and showed he can play at a high level on both sides. Will Holland break down and give him a huge next contract or pivot toward another top-four — if not top-pairing — blueliner?

Tanner Jeannot

It took some time for Jeannot, 28, to find his place but the veteran winger was playing his best hockey when he picked up a groin injury that took him out of action down the stretch and for the postseason, where his physical play might have been better served. He’s a pricey fourth-liner, and the Kings could use the $2.665 million he made elsewhere. But his next contract shouldn’t be too costly. He can help L.A. or another club.

Andrei Kuzmenko

The Kings’ deadline addition at a relatively low cost, Kuzmenko turned around his wayward season by scoring 17 points in 22 games. He scored in each of the first two games against the Oilers, and totaled five points, but in the next four games (all losses), he managed only one goal and had a minus-7 rating. It feels like a short-term deal could work unless the Kings want to aim for a more consistent top-line winger.

Difficult to see them back​

Pheonix Copley

Outside of one game he finished up with the Kings, Copley spent the season with Ontario and went 24-17-1 with a .904 save percentage and 2.46 goals-against average. The 33-year-old is a UFA and the Kings could be poised to give prospect Carter George – who won both of his playoff starts with the Reign – his first shot at regular AHL work.

David Rittich

“Big Save Dave” went 16-14-2 in 34 games backing up Kuemper but he didn’t live up his moniker as much as he did during his strong 2023-24 season. MoneyPuck had Rittich making 11.4 fewer saves than expected. He only won six of his final 16 starts and had a 3.64 GAA and .881 save percentage in a rough end to the season. The Kings could go in another direction.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Definitely not back​

Trevor Lewis

After 17 years and 1,034 NHL games, Lewis was asked directly if he was ready to call it a career. “I don’t think so,” he said. “See what happens this summer. Still feel good, so we’ll see what’s out there.” The 38-year-old played in 60 games and has a long association with the club, but younger legs figure to win out over his experience when it comes to a roster spot.