Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Los Angeles Kings are entering a crucial stage. entering the 2026-27 season, they are playing without Anze Kopitar, who led this team on and off the ice for 20 seasons and has since retired. While that leaves an opening for a new captain, it also leaves an opening for players who had down seasons to bounce back and step up, especially now when the team needs them more. Here are three players who need to do just that.
Quinton Byfield is a choice by many to have a make or break season. Thought by many to be the replacement for Kopitar on the top line, those same people are now wondering if he is top line material . While While he is still the top choice for that position, he has to put it all together and be an unstoppable force from here on out and that means offensively. In 2023-24, he had 55 points to match his jersey number followed by 54 points the following season. However, last season he had just 49 points. While that is not bad point production for a third-line player, Byfield needs more than that if he is going to carry this team offensively from the top-line center position.
Next is Trevor Moore. Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2020, he has made a living in the Kings middle-six by bringing much-needed secondary scoring. He has not been an elite scorer nor has he been a poor scorer either. He has been consistent in his production and has always brought his game every night. This season he will need to bring a little more to Crypto.com Arena. His career-high of 57 points was in the 2023-24 season and he has not come close since, recording just 32 points last season. We all know he is a better player than this and we all have seen he is a better player than this. He is another forward who has to step up this season if the Kings are to make noise in the Pacific Division. Will the additions of Erik Haula, Mats Zuccarello, and a full season of Artemi Panarin get his production back?
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Lastly, what has happened to goaltender Darcy Kuemper? In the 2024-25 season, he went 32-11-7 with a .921 save percentage, a 2.02 goals against average, and five shutouts. Last season, he disappeared. He posted a record of 19-14-15 with a .891 save percentage, 2.78 goals against average, and three shutouts, nothing like the season before. The way the Kings are built they cannot afford to have poor goaltending. They do not have a top-10 offense. Their defense is not a shutdown defense and they will need their goaltending to win them games most nights. Kuemper may be the most important Kings player this season. If he has a repeat of last season and can’t get the job done, GM Ken Holland may be forced to trade the goaltender.
The Kings do have some new additions on offense and defense. Their system is based on every player playing defense and using scoring chances when they come. This season will be no different. Even with the new forwards, a full season on Panarin, Adrian Kempe, and Byfield, this offense is still not a lights-out offense. The defense marginally improved but will still need everyone every night. Byfield, Moore, and Kuemper are three players the Kings are looking to rebound in a big way. If they do, the Kings may make some noise. If not, the Kings will be as quiet as a church mouse again.
Discover more from Los Angeles Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Tags: #Darcy Kuemper #LAXSN # LAXSportsNation #WegENT #Los Angeles Kings #Quinton Byfield #Trevor Moore
Categorized:Kings