The Three Decisions That Will Define LA Kings Training Camp: Byfield, Doughty, and the Blue Line
For the Los Angeles Kings, the countdown to training camp is no longer about simply getting back on the ice. It is about answering three questions that will shape the 2026-27 season before the puck drops in Colorado on September 30.
The Kings have built a dependable playoff foundation. They have qualified for the postseason five straight times, and their defensive structure remained a strength last season. But that consistency has come with an uncomfortable ending: five consecutive first-round exits. The most recent one, a four-game sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, provided the clearest possible review of where the group stood. Los Angeles could defend, compete, and make games difficult. It could not consistently create enough offense to alter a series against a top opponent.
That is why Peter Laviolette’s first training camp matters so much. The new head coach is not inheriting a roster that needs a total rebuild; he is inheriting a roster that needs a sharper edge. General manager Ken Holland has added experience around the existing core, led by Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala, Brandt Clarke, Drew Doughty, and Darcy Kuemper. The objective is straightforward: make the Kings harder to contain without compromising the discipline that has kept them relevant.
Three decisions will determine how realistic that objective is. Byfield must establish himself as the franchise’s top center. Doughty’s contract future has to be managed without becoming a season-long distraction. And the blue line must become a genuine source of offense, not merely the first pass out of the defensive zone.
The Post-Game Review: What Colorado Exposed
The Colorado series should not be remembered simply as another loss in a frustrating run of playoff exits. It should be used as an organizational review.
The Kings entered the 2025-26 season with a familiar profile: structured, difficult to break down, and capable of getting quality goaltending. They allowed 238 goals, tied for seventh-fewest in the NHL. That is the kind of defensive baseline a contender wants. Yet Los Angeles scored only 220 goals, ranking 29th in the League, and averaged 2.68 per game. The disparity was too large to ignore.
In a short playoff series, low scoring creates a problem that compounds quickly. A club can execute defensively for long stretches, but it still needs to convert a power play, finish a rebound, or generate a second scoring chance when the opponent is protecting the middle. Colorado’s sweep made clear that the Kings could not depend on playing a perfect defensive game every night. The offense needed more layers.
The response has been purposeful. Laviolette has spoken about an attack-oriented approach that still respects defensive responsibility. That language matters because it describes the balance the Kings must find. They do not need to become a reckless transition team. They need to attack with a plan: quicker support on entries, more movement away from the puck, defensemen active at the right time, and a power play that creates multiple threats.
This is the lens through which preseason games should be evaluated. A 3-2 exhibition result will matter less than whether the Kings are producing clean entries, getting traffic to the net, sustaining possession after a broken play, and creating more than one scoring option on a given shift. The previous season has already been reviewed. The task now is to show that the lessons from it have been applied.
Decision No. 1: Make Quinton Byfield the No. 1 Center
The biggest change in Los Angeles is unavoidable: Anze Kopitar is retired. For two decades, he served as the club’s foundational center, its captain, and its most trusted player in every important situation. The Kings will not replace him by asking one player to copy every part of his game.
They will, however, ask Byfield to become the player the franchise can build around.
At 23, Byfield has already shown that he can handle increasingly difficult assignments. He recorded career highs with 24 goals, 180 shots, and 20:01 of average ice time in 79 games last season. He had 49 points overall, but the most encouraging stretch came after Panarin arrived. In 24 games alongside a more talented offensive environment, Byfield collected 19 points, including 13 goals.
Training camp will be about turning that glimpse into a dependable role. The projected first-line arrangement with Panarin and Kempe gives Byfield an extraordinary opportunity. Panarin can create space and make passes that change a shift in an instant. Kempe is a high-volume shooter who has posted three straight 70-point seasons and scored 32 even-strength goals last year. Byfield does not need to carry both wingers. He needs to win the middle of the ice, transport the puck through traffic, and make the line more difficult to match up against.
The specific details will be revealing. Is Byfield taking the key offensive-zone draws? Is he the forward carrying the puck through the neutral zone? Does he become a regular on the top power-play group, and can he establish a net-front or slot presence that gives Panarin another passing lane? Those are not small camp questions. They are the early indicators of whether Los Angeles is prepared to move from a shared leadership model to a forward group with a clear centerpiece.
Game Preview: The Panarin–Byfield–Kempe Test
The preseason opens on September 19 and runs through September 26, a shorter window that makes every exhibition game more useful. The first preview item is clear: the Panarin–Byfield–Kempe line.
On paper, it has all the ingredients of a top NHL unit. Panarin is the playmaker. Kempe is the finisher. Byfield can be the matchup-breaking center who blends size and skill. The question is whether their instincts complement each other at game speed.
The first measurement should be controlled entries. If the line is entering the offensive zone with possession rather than relying on dump-ins, the Kings’ attack will have a better chance to build sustained pressure. The second is shot quality. Panarin will attract defenders, and Kempe will find shots. Byfield’s job is to turn those moments into a difficult choice for the opposition: defend the pass, respect Kempe’s release, or deal with a 6-foot-5 center moving through the slot.
The third measurement is defensive trust. Laviolette will not hand out the most important role simply because the line scores in an exhibition game. He will want evidence that Byfield can manage tough matchups, recover after a turnover, and make responsible decisions when a shift gets extended. A successful preseason review for this trio is not three points on a scoresheet. It is a line that controls the puck, creates repeatable chances, and can be used against another team’s best players.
Decision No. 2: Keep Drew Doughty’s Future from Taking Over the Present
Doughty’s influence on the Kings remains enormous. He is the lone player from the franchise’s Cup-winning teams still on the roster, a former Norris Trophy winner, and a veteran defenseman who averaged 23:05 per game last season. At 36, he remains a stabilizing presence while younger players grow around him.
But his future is also a central organizational question. Doughty is entering the final season of the eight-year, $88 million contract he signed in 2018. The financial calculation is complicated, and the decision cannot be separated from the Kings’ broader roster timeline. Byfield, Clarke, and Alex Laferriere represent the next leadership group; Panarin, Kempe, Fiala, Zuccarello, and the other veterans are being asked to compete now.
The key is not to force an immediate answer for the sake of headlines. The Kings need to be honest about what Doughty can still provide, what role he wants, and how much cap space the team needs to stay competitive. That conversation can progress without becoming the daily storyline of camp.
On the ice, Doughty still has a major part to play in the transition. He can help set standards for a defense corps being asked to activate more often, and he can provide the calm decision-making that makes aggressive hockey sustainable. His Olympic silver with Team Canada in 2026 was another reminder that he remains capable of contributing in high-pressure environments.
The preseason review should focus on how he is used. Does he still carry the toughest shutdown minutes? Is he paired with a younger puck-mover? Does he see a more tailored workload that preserves his impact across an 84-game season? None of those answers diminishes his value. They may be exactly what allows the Kings to get the best out of him when the games matter most.
Decision No. 3: Turn the Blue Line into an Offensive Asset
This is the pivot point for Laviolette’s system.
Clarke led all Kings defensemen with 40 points last season, including eight goals, 32 assists, and 13 power-play points. He also posted 159 shots, 185 blocked shots, and nearly 20 minutes of average ice time per game. Those numbers show a player who can contribute in more than one phase, but they also reveal the gap behind him. Doughty and Joel Edmundson tied for second among Los Angeles defensemen with 23 points each.
That cannot be the final answer for a team trying to escape the bottom third of the League in scoring.
Clarke is expected to receive first-unit power-play responsibility, and camp should be treated as his audition for that role. He needs to show poise at the blue line, not just a willingness to pass. A top power-play quarterback identifies pressure early, moves a penalty kill from side to side, changes the shooting angle, and knows when the simple shot is the best play. With Panarin, Kempe, and potentially Zuccarello supplying skill around him, Clarke has the personnel to turn the unit into a legitimate strength.
The five-on-five picture is just as important. Associate coach Phil Housley has emphasized a more active defense, one that supports the rush and maintains offensive-zone pressure. The risk is obvious: if a defenseman activates at the wrong moment and the forwards do not cover, the result is an odd-man rush the other way. The reward is that the Kings can add a fourth attacker, create more confusion off the cycle, and stop opponents from simply sitting back in their structure.
The preseason games should make this easy to spot. Fans should watch where Clarke, Doughty, and the other defensemen position themselves when Los Angeles has possession below the goal line. Are they holding the blue line effectively? Are they moving laterally to keep a play alive? Are the forwards communicating well enough to cover a pinching defender? These details will say more about the new attack than the final exhibition standings ever could.
The Fiala Question and the Secondary-Scoring Challenge
The Kings also need contingency plans. Fiala is identified as a key preseason injury concern, and the club should avoid relying on one player to solve its depth scoring. If Fiala is available, the potential connection with Zuccarello is tantalizing. They previously found chemistry in Minnesota, where Fiala produced a career-high 85 points in 2021-22 and Zuccarello added 79.
Even if that pair begins together, the larger question is whether the Kings can generate a second line that forces opponents to spread their checking resources. Zuccarello’s playmaking, Fiala’s speed and finishing, Haula’s versatility, Corey Perry’s net-front work, and Laferriere’s development offer a variety of tools. Training camp will determine the combinations, but the principle should remain consistent: the Kings cannot allow every important chance to depend on Panarin and Kempe.
This is where post-game reviews become valuable once preseason begins. Rather than reacting only to goals and assists, the Kings should assess whether the second and third lines are tilting the ice. Are they winning faceoffs? Are they creating rebounds? Are they drawing penalties? Are they allowing Laviolette to use the top line more selectively? The answers will reveal whether the roster has enough balance to survive injuries, cold streaks, and difficult road matchups.
The First Real Answer Comes in Colorado
The September 30 opener at Colorado is the perfect first test. The Avalanche ended the Kings’ last season, and they will offer a fast, skilled, unforgiving measuring stick. The game will not decide the standings, but it will supply an immediate review of camp’s three biggest decisions.
Can Byfield drive a top line against elite competition? Can Doughty and the defense manage Colorado’s speed while still supporting the attack? Can Clarke and the power play create a threat that changes the complexion of a close game?
Los Angeles does not have to solve everything in one night. It does need to show that it has evolved. The roster has enough talent to remain a playoff team. The next challenge is becoming a team that can win when the postseason begins.
For continuing previews, post-game reviews, and in-depth training-camp coverage, subscribe to the InfanityTV YouTube channel and follow LA Kings Weekly. The answers begin in camp, but the evidence starts when the Kings face Colorado.
