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The Los Angeles Kings just endured another first-round exit at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. Now, they hope they can make some changes that will help them finally beat the Oilers. The Kings' dream scenario in NHL free agency involves signing the biggest free agent on the market while retaining one of their own.
The Kings hired Ken Holland as their new general manager to fix their woes against Edmonton. So far, the goal for Los Angeles is to get tougher and retain some of their players. The Kings extended Quinton Byfield last season, securing one of their top-six players for five seasons. Now, they have another looming top-six forward who will reach free agency in 2026, unless LA does something about it and extends an offer this summer.
The goal remains the same: beat the Oilers. To do that, the Kings must make some moves to improve their team and find guys who can stop Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Here is the dream scenario for the Kings and what they must do to make a long playoff run.
The Kings must sign Mitchell Marner
The Kings must sign Mitchell Marner to a long-term contract. Currently, he is the hottest NHL free agent on the market after tallying 101 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Yes, Marner would cost approximately $13 million per season. But if the Kings are serious about contending, they need to make a splash. If necessary, they can adjust their finances to make room.
Marner would instantly turn the Kings into Stanley Cup contenders. While he could not help the Maple Leafs get past the Second Round, he would have a change of scenery along with a team with a better defense and goaltending. If Los Angeles cannot sign Marner, then Brock Boeser would be ideal.
Marner would help reinvigorate an often inconsistent offense. Marner would play on the first line with Anze Kopitar and Andrei Kuzmenko (if the Kings re-sign him) or even shift to the second line to play with Byfield and Kevin Fiala. Either option would be hazardous for opposing teams.
The Kings must extend Adrian Kempe
Speaking of Kempe, his contract is up in one year. While it's true that the Kings can ideally wait a year to extend him, it's smarter to get a deal done now rather than wait for his value to increase. So far, Kempe has worked out well for the Kings. He just had another good season, scoring 35 goals and 38 assists, totalling 73 points over 81 games.
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Kempe is not just a talented winger who will contribute 70-plus points to Los Angeles; he also stays healthy. His ability to play almost every game is very rare in the NHL, and also something that is tough to replace. Kempe has become one of the most valuable players on the Kings and can play on either of the top two lines.
Adding a bottom-six forward is a top priority
If the Kings have all this talent, why did they lose to the Oilers again? It's simple. The Kings lacked a true bottom-six forward who could play against McDavid or Draisaitl. Furthermore, they did not have the ability to sustain the momentum after taking a 2-0 series lead.
The fourth line consisted of Jeff Malott, Samuel Helenius, and Alex Turcotte. While Turcotte provided value, the other two did not. Meanwhile, the third line consisted of Warren Foegele, Phillip Danault, and Trevor Moore. The Kings need an upgrade at the bottom-six. If Los Angeles could steal Connor Brown or Jeff Skinner from Edmonton, then it could give them an inside edge on beating the Oilers.
Replacing unrestricted NHL free agents with better value
If the Kings want to grab some unrestricted free agents with good value, there are a few available. Notably, Brad Marchand and Patrick Kane would both be valuable veterans who have won a Stanley Cup. When it comes to NHL free agency, the Kings must navigate the market while also being smart with their money. If they don't want to go after Marchand or Kane, they could also grab a middle-six forward like Matt Duchene.
The good thing here is that Los Angeles has already extended and locked up most of their key players. Now, the goal is to find the final piece of the puzzle that can help them get past the Oilers and make a deep playoff run. If the Kings can find that piece in the offseason, it could go a long way toward springing them back into Stanley Cup contention.
