The Los Angeles Kings just love being mediocre.

After winning Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, the Kings rebuilt and picked 11th or higher in four of five drafts from 2017 until 2021. Returning to the playoffs in 2022, the Kings fell in seven games to the Oilers. Then they lost in six to the Oilers in 2023, five to the Oilers in 2024, and six again to, you guessed it, the Oilers, in 2025.

Last season, the Kings also had the distinction of playing in 33 regular season games that went to overtime, the most in NHL history. If you went to a Kings’ game last season, there was a 40% chance you’d be getting free hockey. Unsurprisingly, their 20 overtime/shootout losses also set a record. 

However, the loser point just helped them squeak into the playoffs, managing a four-point cushion over the St. Louis Blues. By nabbing the eighth seed, the Kings even managed to avoid the Oilers in the 2026 postseason, instead having the honours of being swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

So the big question is: where do they go from him?

What major acquisitions did the Kings make this off-season?

The simple answer to that question is the retirement home (in terms of hockey years).

Their biggest move came during the season, acquiring 34-year-old forward Artemi Panarin and locking him up to a two-year extension shortly after. Also before the trade deadline, the Kings acquired 32-year-old Scott Laughton from the........

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