Los Angeles Kings 2025-26 NHL Season Preview
Hello everybody and welcome into another season preview show here at the Hockey Raiders YouTube channel. I’m your host Matthew Zetour and we are up to the Los Angeles Kings as we continue to preview the season coming up. We’re into training camp. Well, training camps pretty much are over for most teams and preseason has begun and not for most teams, all teams. Preseason is is already here. So, uh Ros, how’s it going? Not bad. getting back into the swing of things with school and then yeah, as you mentioned, season’s coming up, so you know, a bunch of previews, predictions, all that good stuff starting. Yeah. Yeah. And the offseason was too long. We’re I’m so happy that at least preseason, I mean, preseason is still too long. Next season there will be less games. So, uh we’ll have to endure it for this season, but uh we’re going to have some some uh a little bit of a reprieve next season and hopefully for a for good now because preseason just too long. It just agree. Two to three games, it’s good enough. Yeah. And then stops your players from getting a chance to get injured as well. So, that’s right. Well, we’ll talk about one of the new additions already happened with that. Yeah. Um, but yeah, well, let’s start right there with the new additions up at forward group. That’s Corey Perry, Yolia. Unfortunately, uh, Perry won’t be playing for the Kings for the next, it’s not six to eight weeks anymore, but it’s still a long still about a month or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. So, unfortunately, he won’t start the season with the team, but um, he still will he still will be there at some point. So, uh, what do you think about these two guys coming into the forward group? only two uh new additions. Of course, Andre Kuseno resigned. He’s going to be there for a full season. Um but these two new guys probably more middle six guys, but what do you think about their uh coming in? Yeah, I think it completely changes the dynamic of the bottom six for the Kings. you look at um how Jim Hiller deployed his lines last season, especially in the playoffs during crunch time and you know in tough situations and it it really seemed that he didn’t have the trust in the younger guys like Helenius Turkot you know to like really play in those crucial big moments and I think now with you know veteran presence in Joel Arma and Cory Perry he has a fourth line or at least a bottom six that he can trust more and actually play in those situ situations which then you know helps the stoppage of overusing other players which I think we all saw in their first season towards the tail end of um that first round against the Oilers how you know some of their top top players and top lines were getting tired fast because of of how much they were playing. So, I think uh these two guys give the Kings a little bit more of flexibility in that s sort of sense. And I’m sure Kings fans hope that Cory Perry can uh help eliminate the Oilers this time if they do meet up in the first round, which is again very distinct possibility. That could happen again. Um and Perry is seems to be so just book the Kings into the Stanley Cup final I guess. Yeah, that’s what that’s what the trend is. So, yeah, we’ll see. But the thing is is is uh you want to win the cup, not just get there. And that’s unfortunately that’s what Perry keeps going keeps having that bad luck of uh I guess it’s it’s lucky that he gets there, but it’s bad luck that he can’t win it. Yeah. But yeah, it’s one of the weirdest things I’ve seen, honestly. It is very weird. and we thought maybe he’ll he would retire this season or last season, but uh we’ll move on and see how he does with the Kings and unfortunately he won’t be playing for about a month or so. But uh he was brought in he was brought in for his playoff play anyways. So yeah, as long as he’s, you know, ready to go when that comes around, then I think it’ll all be fine. Yeah. And it’s not really that long. I mean, yeah, 6 to 8 weeks is is long term, but I he’s you know, he should be back and and ready to go in about a month and hopefully for the rest of the season as well. Yeah. All right. Uh move to the rest of the forward group, which of course gets Andre Kmega for a full season. We’ve got a lot of the same guys coming back. An Kopitar is a swan song this season because he did announce his retirement after this one. So, I’m sure he’s going to want to go out with a bang. What do you think about what other storylines are you looking at in the forward group? Yeah, I think the biggest one is Quinton Biffield obviously and how he’s sort of looked at as you know the next one center, the next, you know, topline guy to replace Kopitar. And so, how does he sort of continue to morph into that type of player? you know, he did have that breakout season, not last year, but the season before um playing on the wing there with Kopitar and Kempe and then, you know, he moved to back to his natural position at center last season. It didn’t start off, you know, too hot, but gradually he he improved. And so now you’re thinking, okay, well, he’s already got the the nerves and the, you know, the differences of, you know, moving back to uh center out of the way. So this is now the season where let’s let’s try to build on that and actually you know start being a differencemaker. So I think that’s the biggest storyline at least for the forward group for sure. And I mean they’re hoping that Biffield can take that over. I mean he he had big big strides last season right you said. So, um, but yeah, he has to really take it over because Kopitar is still still producing at a high level even though he will be retiring and he’s he’s up there in age, but Right. You wouldn’t know it with him, right? Yeah, exactly. So, uh, let’s move now to the defense, which, uh, saw some additions. Um, not some big additions where I would because kind of hoping there’s a bit of, uh, mixed feelings, I guess, on these two guys. So, uh, Cody Cece, Brian Duman coming in. not big names. They’re more maybe second, third pair of guys. Uh what do you think about these two coming in and hopefully improving the defense here? Yeah, I think first off it just it looks it looks tough when you had Vladislav Gabriov and then Jordan Spence and unfortunately Gabricov chose the Rangers and Jordan Spence wanted a bigger role um with the Ottawa Senators. So now you’re like, “Okay, well Cody Cece and Brian Dumlan, those aren’t really the best guys to come and replace um those that type of role.” That being said, they bring they bring veteran presence. Cody Cece has had success with the Oilers, Brian Dumlin with the Penguins, you know, so these guys are players who know how to win. It’s just that it maybe wasn’t in the same stage of their career. These are both older guys now as well. And so you really think about um how much of an impact they can actually make. I do think undoubtedly this defensive core is weaker than it was last season, especially on paper. But it’s also important to note that the Kings are, you know, this defensively focused team and as a collective, their first focus on any puck is, you know, being in the right place defensively. So, I wonder how much of an actual impact or slide the defensive group is going to take and ultimately how much it actually impacts the Kings. I don’t think it’s going to be too noticeable just because of how just the system that the Kings play. Yeah, that’s true. I mean, they play a really good team defense. So, I mean, it’s not just the defenseman. You’ve got you a lot of the forward group is really good defensively, too. So, um, Andrew Dowy will be here right at the beginning of the season rather than missing How much did he miss last season? Like, yeah, quite a bit, right? Up until February there. Yeah. Yeah. So, he’s going to be there to start. So, I mean, that’s that’s a big deal uh for the defense, even though he’s an older guy, too, but he’s uh he’s still still a ridiculously good defenseman and a still a legit top pairing guy. So, um being here to start the season is going to be a big big thing, too. All right. Well, the goalending, no changes at the starting position. Darcy Keer comes back. Um, but they did add a backup. Anton Forsber and Felix Copley I threw in there, too, because he’s going to probably be able to maybe compete with Forsber. But I’m assuming Forsber’s probably the start going to be the backup. What do you think about the tandem particularly uh the backup position here? Yeah, I think well, first off, you know, Camper’s coming off a Vzna season, so I don’t think um at its core, the goalending is going to, you know, drastically change. Keer should, even if he doesn’t have, you know, the exact same season. I don’t expect the falloff to be that massive as well. It alludes to the fact that the Kings again play such a defensive style that you know leaving goalenders out to dry isn’t something they do very often and so their goalenders are kind of aided in that sense. I think Antoine Forsberg is definitely upgrade from David Riddick so he should be able to um provide that relief for Keer throughout the season whenever needed. Yeah, that’s true. I mean, he did he did have his ups and downs in Ottawa, but like you said, those Kings have a better defense and better system than the Senators do. So, I think he might have a better um season with a defense like like the Kings have in front of him, you’d think at least. Yeah. Yeah. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how he does. But, yeah, like you said, Keer’s a guy. He’s the starter. He’ll play most of the games. And I don’t think he’ll have a drop off either. He seems to have kind of rediscovered what he was from a few seasons ago. So, I think he’ll I think the Kings go is probably pretty good. Agreed. All right. Well, looking at the division, um this is an interesting division because you got some up and cominging teams like the Anaheim Ducks, which might put it together this season. There’s a lot of young talent there. You’ve got the Conucks, which might turn their season around from last season. They still have a pretty good team. And of course the top guys, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers. Uh where do you see the Kings? Are they still in that kind of third fighting for the second third spot or do you see maybe a drop off this season? Yeah, I think in any other division you could say the Kings might have suffered a a drop off, but I think in the Pacific that’s like super topheavy in my opinion that it’s really the Golden Knights, the Oilers, and the Kings. And I I also just think with what the Oilers have lost this off seasonason in terms of their forward group especially the Kings might have a chance at you know finishing second again. It all depends. I mean obviously Conor McDavid and Leon dry cidle together are what they are going to be every year. So you can’t ever count them out. But they did take a massive a massive hit offensively. So, I think um the Kings have a good opportunity to repeat what they did last season and finish second as well as the fact that like you said the Canucks their their problems were not really focused on ice. It was all off ice struggles. You know, JT Miller, Elias Patterson. So, yeah, if they can focus on hockey, do they, you know, have a chance to be in that conversation as well? So, I think with the Conucks and maybe potentially the Flames with how Dustin Wolf continues to play, that could make the top five interesting in the wild card uh position or wild card wild card race interesting. But in terms of where the Kings sack up, I think either second or third is probably where I’ i’d have them. Yeah, I I see that, too. I mean, the thing is is there there are some teams I don’t think the Ducks take that big of a step this season. um they might not finish as low as they were, although they were in the playoff discussion for a bit there. Yeah. Um so I mean there there could be an interesting kind of battle there. Um but I think the Pacific’s a lot better than I’m hoping that it will start becoming more competitive as as from the past. Like it used to be one of the toughest divisions. Yeah. All three Californian teams. Yeah. At that one point. Yeah. And then you had the Canucks even in there and then you had the Yeah. All pretty much a lot of the teams in the Pacific were competitive teams, right? Even the like you say with the Sharks too. I mean I don’t know if there was any team that was really bad. Um but I mean I guess maybe the Coyotes but Yeah. when they were in the Pacific. Yeah. So I mean they were probably the one but for the most part this division was so tough. Yeah. Um so I’m hoping that that’s I love the co competition whereas every team is really tough to play against. It’s been a while since specific’s been competitive. So yeah, but I mean, yeah, like you said, it is trending in the right direction. There’s a lot of young talent in this division, and especially when the Sharks get all their young guys in their prime. Oh my gosh, this this division is going be pretty good. Yeah. All right, let’s go to our quick fire round here. And these are all just quick one or two sentence answers for these. So, we’ll start with uh the biggest storyline uh going into this season. And we’ve talked about a few things, but what do you think is the biggest one? I’m going to go with what can this team do in Kopitar’s final year? You know, can they finally find some playoff success in his last year and give him one last, you know, great season? Um, yeah. Can Holland’s tweaks to the roster? Are they good enough to hopefully find some playoff success because that’s what he was brought in to do, right? Make the little changes, the little tweaks to get them over the edge. And so I guess I would say that actually is the biggest story line is did he do enough? Yeah. And I mean there is some of course the dead deadline. We’ll see how what he kind of works with that. He’s he’s done some moves with the Oilers when he was there where and kind of bolster the team. So uh we’ll see how that goes. And I mean this is way in the future, but there’s talk about him going after McDavid if McDavid does go to free agency because of course he was that’s a whole other Yeah. whole other discussion. Whole other thing. Yeah. We’ll we’ll wait on that one. All right. Uh, next one. Uh, breakout stars. Who do you see as uh as someone breaking out this season? Yeah, I think Alex Leferier has continued to show progression since being drafted in the third round back in 2020. And so, you know, for a guy that was drafted in the third round, you don’t expect him to make the team right away, which he did. And then you don’t expect him, you know, take that big of a next step the year after that, which he did as well. So, you’re like, okay, well, when does this stop? is or is it just going to keep is he just going to continue to get better? And I think the one thing about Alex Lefarier that I’ve noticed is is his work ethic. He just continues to work and get better. And so I would not be surprised if he took another big step, especially after getting that contract extension. Yeah, I was going to say he’s got that big uh extension there. So he’s going to be working on uh well, I mean, it seems like the progression is is on is trending up. So I think he’ll probably have a good season again. Yeah. And then the other other player I’d say is Bran Clark, right? You know, they Kings decided, okay, they’re going to stick with Bran Clark and move Jordan Spence. So, now he’s kind of that main offensive defenseman who should be given a larger role and, you know, more opportunity to play. So, how does he take take that and run with it? Yeah, Brent Clark, he’s always on the cusp. You’re like, is he going to be there yet? Um, I think it could be this season. And I mean, he did have the opportunity last season when Dowy was out and seemed like he had some spirits there, but Yeah, I think he’s got a lot more for sure. He’s he’s really young still. So, a lot more potential in his game. All right. Who do you think needs to bounce back this season from last year? I think there’s one clear answer, and it’s got to be Trevor Moore. He had 31 goals back in 2023, 2024, and then just somehow couldn’t get back in that same rhythm last season. He only scored 18. It it seemed like he was fighting the puck a bit. He couldn’t he couldn’t find the back of the net. And yeah, it just it it wasn’t a great season for Mo, but I think, you know, if he starts to find that offensive game again, that just adds to the list of weapons the Kings have offensively. Yeah, he he’s uh been really good for the Kings since coming over was from the Maple Leafs way back when. So I I think he can definitely get back to that. And I mean that’s a big drop off of being a 304 down to 18. It was it was honestly surprising like just the way it was just not land for him. It wasn’t even that he was playing bad. It was just he wasn’t getting the bounces either. So I think you know his luck has to change. Yeah, for sure. I don’t think he hopefully not have another season where he don’t he don’t get the bounces too. All right. Uh what do you see as potential X factors uh this season? I mean it can be a player. It can also be just like a situation like special teams or something like that. Yeah, I’m going to go with Andre Kuzmano just because you know the Kings were linked to so many elite players in the offseason. you know, Marner, Besser, Eers. The truth is they couldn’t land any of them. The only player that, you know, they were able to bring back was Andre Kusenco, who’s that right shot scoring forward they desperately need. And it’s not like I mean, you know, about Kuzno, he has he has the ability to be a dynamic gamechanging player in the offensive zone. It’s the consistency that’s the problem. So, he’s found chemistry with Kempe and Kopitar at the tail end of last season. So, can he build off of that and rack up those points? Cuz if he does do that, then, you know, people are going to forget really quickly about the talent that the Kings missed out on in the offseason. Yeah. I mean, Kousano, I don’t know if he’s ever going to get back to that 70point guy that he was in Vancouver for the one season. I mean, you Kings of course hope that could happen. Um, but I mean he is very skilled and like you said he he kind of fit in again uh on a team on the King’s top line and the power play I think got a lot better when he was acquired. Drastically improved as soon as he was implemented. Yeah, it was insane. So I mean that that alone could really help the Kings too if their power play is better with him. Yeah, that’s a big X factor. I think Kuzzmano is uh I hope he does because I really like I really liked him as a player and I was really disappointed that he wasn’t able to just keep building on what he was doing. He’s still in Vancouver here if he did. Um but yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see how he does this season. All right, let’s shift to prospects. And I mean the Kings have I don’t know how loaded they are uh with the roster, but do you see anyone any prospects kind of surprising in preseason? Uh, I think the the clear answer is Liam Greenree. He was drafted 26th overall in 2024, known as a, you know, a goal scorer with with a wicked shot. Um, and, you know, we mentioned that Cory Perry uh, won’t be available to start the season. So, that opens up a spot that, you know, Liam Green Green could um, try and fill it. I guess it all depends on how he performs in the preseason. You know, there’s guys like Akquil Thomas, Helenius, Andre Lee that are all also fighting for that that one spot. So, in terms of talent, Green Tree has the most. But, you know, even if he is the best player out of those out of those four or five, is he really suited to play in the on the fourth line or do they let him have a chance in the top six and move someone else down? I mean, there’s lots of moving parts, but I do think there’s a decent chance he could be on the roster. Yeah, I love Green Tree. I He had such a good season with the Windsor Spitfires last year and yeah, he he’s been really good and I I was really surprised where the Kings caught him in the draft. I thought he was definitely going to be drafted higher, but yeah. Um yeah, he’s showing that he probably should have been drafted higher the way he’s been playing. So, I I could see that for sure. What about other prospects that you see? I mean, anyone to watch. I mean, the Kings prospect pool is I mean, I don’t know if it’s the highest. It’s not the lowest. It’s more in the middle. Yeah. Who should everyone be watching this season? Probably Henry Bruce Sherwitch. Yeah, it’s kind of tough to pronounce that last name, but yeah, they just took him 31st overall in the last draft. And, you know, he’s played one preseason game. You know, he looked pretty good. Um, so probably keep an eye out for him. I assume, I’m not entirely sure, but I assume he’s going back to London. Mhm. Um if not, then the AHL, but um yeah, that would probably be the the guy to watch out for. Oh, also Carter George. Yeah. Who’s just continuing to tear it up in any league he’s playing. He was loan back to the OL this morning, I believe. So, won’t see any more of him in a Kings sweater this year, but definitely keep your eyes out for him um in Owens Sound. Yeah, he’s one of the top goalie prospects right now. I mean, he didn’t make my top 10 and my previous one, but he’s honorable mention. So, he he’ll end up being in the top 10 at some point. He’ll be there eventually. Yeah. Yeah. Especially if he puts up another great season, right, in OHL this year, too. All right. H this one might be quick. Um, who do you see leading the team in scoring this season, forwards and defense? Adrien Kempe. I mean, he’s done it for the last number of seasons and he’s heading into a contract year. So, you know, he’s he’s playing for that next contract. So, that gives every player that extra boost, that extra momentum to, you know, do the most they can. And so, yeah, no, none other than Adrien Kempe. All right. What do you see defense? Is it Drew Dowy or does Brandt Clark come into the conversation? I’d like to say it’s Brand Clark because then you can really say that he’s taken a step forward and, you know, we’re seeing some consistent production from him. I think, you know, with the opportunity to hopefully play on the power play, the first power play unit, it should be Brand Clark that ends up with the most points. But, you know, if it’s not him, it’ll be Dowy. Yeah. I mean last season of course he didn’t have the chance because I mean he was hurt for most of the year but um yeah I think Clark K if if he does lead the team defense scoring that’s a good good thing for him right all right final thing bold prediction what do you got for a bold prediction this season? Well since it’s a a bold prediction might as well go with the boldest thing possible. the Kings uh win the Stanley Cup and give Copitar his uh his third cup in his final year. There you go. That’d be the feel-good story of the season, too. Yeah. And and the that they might have gotten past the Empton Oilers for the first time. Yeah, that’s also possibly. And Corey Perry finally changes the narrative. That seems an extra story line onto that too. Gary breaks the curse. He seems to have have started breaks the curse with the team that was his biggest rival for almost his whole career. That would be that would be a story. That would be definitely. All right, we’ll see how the Kings do this season and if they can make that that that bold prediction come true. But uh you know the Kings should be a good team regardless. they still have a pretty good uh forward group defense and of course the goalending and the system is always a thing that seems to keep them right in the mix of the Pacific Division playoffs. So thanks Ross for coming on and talking the Kings. Um make sure you check out everything at the hawks.com. We’ve got great preview content out there already. Um lots of stuff going on. We got preseason games going on. We got recaps. We got takeaways. Lots of fun stuff to take a look at. Um, but and all of a sudden our sub all all as well as our substacks and uh other YouTube channel content. We got all the season previews. Only one team remaining, the Edmonton Oilers. We’ve talked about them a lot on this. They’re the last one to come out. So check them all out. We got 31 teams out on the YouTube channel. So check all those videos. But until our next preview, which will be the Edmonton Oilers, um we will see you next time.
Host Matthew Zator welcomes Los Angeles Kings writer Raz Devraj to the show to preview the upcoming 2025-26 season.
They go through everything from the new additions and burning questions/storylines surrounding the forwards, defense and goaltending to where the Kings stack up in the Pacific Division. They also highlight some potential breakout stars, players that need to bounce back from last season, prospects to watch, X factors, bold predictions, and more.
Check out Raz”s writing – https://thehockeywriters.com/author/rdevraj/
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3 comments
I’m a die high life long Kings fan , and I extremely impressed! How you guys know the Kings top to bottom !
Brilliant job
I love the bold position! GO KINGS GO !