{"id":13723,"date":"2026-06-10T16:38:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13723"},"modified":"2026-06-10T16:38:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T16:38:18","slug":"kings-got-a-new-coach-in-peter-laviolette-but-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13723","title":{"rendered":"Kings got a new coach in Peter Laviolette, but now what?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Kings checked one box on Tuesday, officially announcing Peter Laviolette as the franchise\u2019s 32nd head coach, but there will be plenty more to do this offseason.<\/p>\n

Read more Dodgers explode for 10-run inning to rout Pirates<\/a><\/p>\n

By General Manager Ken Holland\u2019s own admission, a repeat performance of last season would not get the Kings back into the playoffs, where they were swept out of the first round this spring. Their unsightly displays on special teams and anemic offensive output left them with little to hang their hat on, especially since their respectable goals-against numbers often came at the expense of their attack.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll also have to forge onward without their captain for the past decade and leading scorer for most of the last 20 years, An\u017ee Kopitar, who retired in April.<\/p>\n

Laviolette, and presumably an all-new coaching staff with some mix of his most frequent collaborators such as Phil Housley and Kevin McCarthy, could be the first of several changes in every area of the roster.<\/p>\n

FORWARDS<\/h4>\n

Free agents:<\/strong> Scott Laughton, Andrei Kuzmenko, Jeff Mallott, Mathieu Joseph<\/p>\n

Trade protection:<\/strong> Artemi Panarin, no-movement clause; Adrian Kempe, no-movement clause; Kevin Fiala, 10-team no-trade list<\/p>\n

Not only will the Kings be tasked with replacing Kopitar, but they are still in search of a long-term stand-in for another center, Phillip Danault. In December, they dealt him back to Montreal \u2013 he picked up where he left off after the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, this time reaching the Eastern Conference Finals with the Canadiens \u2013 and replaced him with Laughton at the final wheeze of March\u2019s trade deadline.<\/p>\n

Like Danault, wingers Corey Perry and Warren Foegele were also dealt for draft picks, while Fiala and Kuzmenko sustained season-ending injuries in February. Overall, a full campaign of Panarin, who was added via trade in February, and a healthy Fiala should boost the Kings considerably on the flank. Kuzmenko was terse in his response about returning next season, leaving the door open but expressing limited optimism.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The main thrust will be strengthening the middle, where Quinton Byfield is the only core piece presently. Laughton and Holland both seemed amenable to continuing their relationship, but in a heavily diluted free-agent market the 32-year-old third-liner could have a lot of leverage as he seeks to cash in on what\u2019s likely his last contract of considerable length.<\/p>\n

As for their top-six center needs, there are attractive possibilities in the trade market, but the likes of Detroit\u2019s Dylan Larkin, St. Louis\u2019 Robert Thomas and Toronto\u2019s Auston Matthews all come with both heavy trade protection and high acquisition costs.<\/p>\n

DEFENSEMEN<\/h4>\n

Free agents:<\/strong> Brandt Clarke (restricted), Jacob Moverare<\/p>\n

Trade protection:<\/strong> Drew Doughty, seven-team no-trade list. Mikey Anderson, Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin and Joel Edmundson, 10-team no-trade lists.<\/p>\n

Read more Angels\u2019 Jack Kochanowicz to undergo Tommy John surgery<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Over the course of two summers, the Kings weakened the fulcrum of their roster by losing Matt Roy and Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, then exacerbating matters by casting off Jordan Spence for a modest return. While Joel Edmundson exceeded expectations as a replacement, Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci underperformed, particularly Ceci.<\/p>\n

Brought in at three times the cost of Spence, his production and underlying numbers were comparatively terrible. His value as a penalty killer proved limited, as the Kings\u2019 effectiveness while shorthanded cratered year over year. Additionally, the Kings\u2019 breakouts and overall transition game suffered immensely with those three changes.<\/p>\n

Not only will some reconfiguration of the defense corps be necessary, especially with Laviolette favoring an active group of defensemen, but their top defender last year will need a new contract. Clarke had a breakout season as he took control of the top power-play unit while establishing himself as by far the most prolific and threatening King on the blue line.<\/p>\n

The Kings have taken a highly measured approach with his development, limiting his games and minutes beyond what many observers felt was warranted. Rather than suppress his value, that could make Clarke and agent Randy Robitaille more inclined to hunker down in negotiations. The contracts of the Ducks\u2019 Jackson LaCombe and the New Jersey Devils\u2019 Luke Hughes \u2013 both carry a $9 million annual average value \u2013 will surely be used as comps.<\/p>\n

GOALIES<\/h4>\n

Free agents:<\/strong> Pheonix Copley<\/p>\n

Trade protection:<\/strong> Darcy Kuemper, 10-team no-trade list<\/p>\n

The Kings\u2019 goaltending stable has gotten crowded with top minor-leaguer Erik Portillo and an array of prospects ascending the ranks. Prominent standout Carter George, 2025 NCAA champion Hampton Slukynsky and Finnish pro Petteri Rimpinen all provide promise for the future.<\/p>\n

But in the near term, the Kings are still a team that has had five different Game 1 starters and eight different playoff netminders overall in the past five postseasons, with limited certainty in their 2026-27 outlook.<\/p>\n

Kuemper, who played under Laviolette as a Washington Capital for one campaign, is in the final year of his deal. On one hand, the two seasons of his second stint as a King have garnered him his biggest individual accolades as he was the Vezina Trophy runner-up in Year 1 and represented Canada at the Olympics in Year 2. On the other hand, he never seemed to fully recover from a December upper-body injury and could free up more than $5 million in cap space.<\/p>\n

Yet a tandem of Anton Forsberg, who\u2019s nearly as old as Kuemper and unlikely to sustain his play from the stretch run over a full season, and Portillo, who has played one NHL game, seems underwhelming, particularly for a team that has leaned heavily on its back end.<\/p>\n

Read more Walbert Ure\u00f1a grinds through 5 scoreless innings as Angels blow out Astros<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Kings\u2019 offseason moves will likely address their struggling special teams and lackluster offense and a roster that lost longtime captain An\u017ee Kopitar to retirement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","category-based-on-factual-reporting-although-it-incorporates-the-expertise-of-the-author-and-may-offer-interpretations-and-conclusions"],"yoast_head":"\nKings got a new coach in Peter Laviolette, but now what? - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=13723\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kings got a new coach in Peter Laviolette, but now what? 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