by Dan Adkisson

The LA Kings have been playoff-bound for four consecutive seasons, relying on stout defense and a mixture of veteran and youth scoring to stay competitive in the NHL’s Western Conference. Despite their best effort, the Kings have been eliminated in the First Round in all four of their recent Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.

During the offseason, Los Angeles’ front office made a few key signings to the roster. Defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin were the biggest contracts doled out, totaling $30 million.

Adding Joel Armia’s puck possession and Corey Perry’s ability to infuriate the opposition were solid additions. Each were brought in on smaller contracts to add depth on the wing. Goaltender Anton Forsberg’s stats in Ottawa ranked him as one of the best secondary options for LA, so they signed him to a two-year, $4.5 million deal. He’ll be the relief behind Darcy Kuemper’s veteran presence in net; where he’s coming off an impressive 2.02 GAA and a 31-11-7 record as a starter last season in Los Angeles.

Oddsmakers are bullish on the Kings’ playoff outlook ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season. Learn more about NHL betting and how to claim sportsbook promo codes to qualify for hundreds in bonus bets through exclusive welcome offers.

Currently, Los Angeles is -350 to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It would make a fifth straight year achieving this feat. The Kings won the 2011-12 and 2013-14 Stanley Cup Finals but haven’t made it out of the First Round since their last title.

In the Conference Winner futures prop market, Los Angeles is the fifth betting favorite to win the Western Conference at +1100. In the Stanley Cup Winner market, the Kings are 10th betting favorites at +2200.

However, upon closer inspection, this team is still third to win a loaded Pacific Division at +370. Los Angeles is behind Vegas at +155 and Edmonton at +170.

Collectively, these odds imply that the Kings are due to repeat their cycle of playoff qualifiers with a First Round exit. They will be tested right out of the gate by Colorado, as the Kings open their season with a home game against the Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday, October 7th.

Afterward, it’s a three-game road trip against the Golden Knights, Jets, and Wild. All three of these opponents were playoff teams last season, so star players like Adrian Kempe, Anže Kopitar, Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield will need to bring the juice early to avoid an 0-4 or 1-3 start.

Goaltending and defense were the backbone of head coach Jim Hiller’s team a year ago. It carried Los Angeles to the playoffs but they ran into a buzzsaw against the Oilers, blowing a 2-0 lead with four consecutive losses.

Offense should be the focal point to start the 2205-26 season. The Kings ranked 14th in total goals scored and goals per game. This metric needs to move into top-10 territory for Los Angeles to cure its First Round woes.

Defensively, the Kings will be even more loaded with Ceci and Doumolin projected for the third-line defensive pairing. Forsberg is a strong backup option to Kuemper in between the pipes, so the burden to improve and make a deep playoff run falls onto the shoulders of the forwards.