The Los Angeles Kings have been the subject of numerous rumors regarding free agency and players they could either be shopping, looking to re-sign, or add. With loads of speculation but nothing concrete, it leaves us with more questions than answers. What should we be expecting from the Kings in the coming days?
Kings’ general manager Ken Holland met with the media just before Day 1 of the 2025 NHL Draft to help clarify that and discuss the situations of various players, as well as the plan and direction of the Kings’ offseason. How are extension talks going with certain players? What’s the most important hole to fill?
With two days until free agency on July 1 and Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft completed, let’s unpack everything surrounding the Kings before some of these rumors and rumblings possibly become a reality.
Defense Is Holland’s “Top Priority”
With the various holes and needs the Kings will be trying to fill and acquire throughout the offseason, Holland has made it clear that sorting out what the defensive group looks like for next season is at the top of his list.
There are a few routes the Kings can go, whether that be looking for someone via trade or free agency, but in order for Holland to decide what he feels is necessary for the Kings, the question that is Vladislav Gavrikov needs to be answered first. How the Kings’ defensive group will look next season is all contingent on whether or not Gavrikov re-signs with the Kings.
“If we re-sign Gavrikov, there’s not going to be a ton of change […] if we don’t re-sign Gavrikov, there will be change,” Holland said. “I’d like to re-sign Gavrikov, if I don’t, then I’ve got to go out and get a defenseman or two, a couple of vets, couple of pros.”
As I have written previously, Gavrikov is a crucial part of the Kings’ blue line. He plays the shutdown role better than any other Kings defenseman and is clearly a player Holland and the Kings are desperately trying to bring back. With the cap continuing to rise, would giving Gavrikov a little more money be that bad of an idea when you know he has the capabilities to do exactly what you need him to do?
“Before I got here, I know Rob Blake made an offer,” Holland said. “I went beyond that offer, and so now we have just kind of continued to talk, and I think I made another offer, so we’ll see.”
Teams are interested in Gavrikov, and as it looks right now, he is prepared to wait and see what those offers look like before making his decision. The question is, did the Kings offer him enough for him to want to stay?
According to Holland, Gavrikov is the “key” and his decision on whether or not he will be returning to Los Angeles will set the stage for what’s to come regarding the Kings’ blue line.
Laferriere Extension Expected to Get Done
The other big question mark regarding a key player for the Kings last season is Alex Laferriere, who is a restricted free agent and just coming off a three-year deal that carried an average annual value (AAV) of $875,000. Laferriere is expected to earn a decent raise on his next contract, considering the progression he has shown over the past two seasons, along with the rising cap. The good news for the Kings is that Laferriere is ineligible for an offer sheet, meaning another team cannot offer him a contract period. Laferriere falls under the 10.2(c) clause, which often college players who turn pro after their NCAA season ends and burn the first year of their entry-level contract (ELC) without reaching the minimum games-played for a pro season. Because Laferriere played just four games in the American Hockey League for the Ontario Reign right after finishing his season with Harvard University in 2023, he falls under the 10.2(c) clause.
Laferriere, being a restricted free agent (RFA), means there’s no rush for the two parties to come to an agreement on an extension. Obviously, both sides would love to get it done as soon as possible, but July 1 isn’t a hard deadline like it is for unrestricted free agents.
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While there’s no deal in place right now, one thing is clear. This organization has nothing but love and praise for the young forward, and Laferriere wants to remain an LA King.
“(We’re) trying to find a fair deal on a short-term deal that both sides think is fair. We’re going to find a solution, I can’t tell you exactly when, but he wants to be here, he likes it here,” Holland said. “Real good player, real important player, guy that can go up the roster, can play on the third line, he can check, conscientious, important guy to this organization, so I can’t tell you when, but we are going to find a solution to have him in camp.”
Spence Just Wants to Play
With all of the rumors surrounding the Kings, Jordan Spence’s name had been continuously brought up since the trade deadline. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned during an episode of “32 Thoughts the Podcast” on June 13, that the Kings could look to move Spence and believed that they don’t think that there is room for both Brandt Clarke and Spence on the right side.
“Jordan wants to play […] I’ve talked to his agent multiple times, he’d love to be here, but he wants to play. He’d like to be in the lineup every night. He’s 24 years old, and if he’s not in the lineup every night, I think he’d like to be somewhere where he could be in the lineup every night,” Holland said. “I think it depends on what we see as his role, will determine the way he’s thinking […] he doesn’t want to go backwards in his career, he doesn’t want to become a seventh defenseman, he wants to know that when he comes to the rink he’s going to be in the lineup every night […] and that’s a decision I have to make along with Jim Hiller and some of the other people.”
The domino finally dropped. Holland and company came to a decision, and Spence was traded this morning to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for pick 67 in this year’s draft, as well as a sixth-round pick in 2026. Shortly after, the Kings traded pick 67 to Carolina in exchange for pick 125 and a 2026 third-round pick. To say that the return is underwhelming would be an understatement. A trade was almost expected, but that kind of return for a right-shot defenseman that is capable of playing top-four minutes, can be used in multiple scenarios, and has had 20-plus points in back-to-back seasons, was not.
All three of the Kings’ defensemen on the right side are capable of playing top-four minutes. Drew Doughty is a veteran who will most likely retire as a King for many reasons, along with the massive cap hit he carries, and Clarke is their young phenom whose role will only increase and is not available for trade. That leaves Spence as the odd man out, and while that’s a perfect scenario for the Kings to have three impactful defensemen on the right side, that also means that Spence’s role will be significantly lower than what he’s capable of and wants.
Trading Spence was more about him wanting a bigger, more solidified role than the Kings not wanting him, but they essentially traded him for a bag of pucks. When Doughty came back, the trust in Spence dropped, and that continued into the playoffs, where he barely played. It’s obvious that head coach Jim Hiller didn’t see him as someone who could be relied on, and he wants to grow and not have to worry about being in and out of the lineup all the time. The part that’s head scratching is why Hiller wasn’t willing to allow him that opportunity as a 24-year-old who stepped up when needed in the absence of Doughty.
Clarke and Spence were this team’s only true puck-moving, offensive defenseman, and with Spence’s departure, that now means the Kings have another hole to fill before next season. Right away, I can think of a solution that could put the Kings in a pretty good position when it comes to their D-core. Being able to re-sign Gavrikov and having him play on the right side would be the first move, and then acquiring Bowen Byram, which the Kings are reportedly interested in doing, according to TSN’s insider Darren Dreger, would be the next move giving them another offensively minded, puck moving defenseman who plays on the left side.
There’s Interest in Bringing Kuzmenko Back
The only move the Kings made at the 2025 Trade Deadline was acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko from the Philadelphia Flyers. You could call the move somewhat of a success as the more he played, the more he grew and fit in alongside his linemates, Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. There’s no question he showed off his talent and some glimpses of his sensational rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks. Coming off a two-year deal worth $5.5 million a year, he is looking to stay in Los Angeles, and the Kings have interest in keeping him for the right price.
It’s important to be careful with Kuzmenko’s new contract, and the Kings need to take into account the streakiness and inconsistency that he brings. Yes, he’s an incredibly talented individual who can elevate a team’s offense in certain situations, especially the power play, but the biggest worry is giving him $4-5 million a year and wondering how many games in a season you are going to see that talent.
After signing an extension in Vancouver, his game completely fell off to the point where he was continuously benched by Rick Tocchet and ultimately traded to the Calgary Flames. He had a hot start in Calgary to end the 2023-24 season, then played himself out of the lineup to start the 2024-25 season, and then ultimately played himself out of Calgary.
Kuzmenko got off to a slow start with the Kings but slowly progressed with each opportunity to remain in the lineup and alongside Kopitar and Kempe. That was something that he was grateful for, and the biggest reason he wants to stay a King.
“We like Kuzmenko, the coaches like Kuzmenko, Kuzmenko likes it here. He likes his role, he likes that he came here and in the first seven games he didn’t get a point and the coach continued to play him, and then he got it going,” Holland said. “Kuzy liked it here because he had a relationship with the coach, he was on the power play, and found good chemistry with Kopitar and Kempe. I’m talking to him, talked two, three, four times this week with his agent, so we’ll see, (we’d) like to keep him, but again it’s all cap related, we got to figure out how we want to spend our money.”
Kuzmenko showed enough promise for the Kings to be interested in bringing him back, but it has to be for the right price, and it can’t come at the expense of other big fish free agents the Kings are reportedly after. This has to be one of those if we have the space, when the defense and big fish free agent is sorted, then okay, let’s bring him back.
Jeannot Expected to Hit Open Market
Revamping the fourth line is another thing Holland is going to need to sort out before October. Tanner Jeannot provided a gritty, hard forechecking presence the Kings had otherwise been lacking in previous seasons, but when it came time to needing that type of player the most (in the playoffs), Jeannot was injured. That left the fourth line filled with young players who weren’t trusted enough to play crucial minutes against the Edmonton Oilers. You could say the unwillingness to trust the entire lineup was a decent contributor to the Kings losing in Round 1 again, because that meant the rest of the lineup was being overused.
Jeannot had a decent season playing on the fourth line a majority of the time, but that isn’t a role he wants to continue with.
“Tanner would like a bigger role than to play on the fourth line. People here liked him because he brings some dimensions of heaviness, hardness, strength,” Holland said. “I have interest in him staying, but I think that based upon the opportunity, there’s probably a good chance he’ll explore the market.”
Holland mentioned that he’s going to need to build a fourth line that can be trusted when a situation like that presents itself in the playoffs again, and part of that is going to be finding a replacement for Jeannot. The good news is that it is probably the easiest task Holland is going to have and one of the cheapest. Regardless of who it is, the Kings do need to add some toughness to their lineup and a player who isn’t afraid to throw the body around or be a pest.
Kings Continue to Trade Down In 2025 NHL Draft
Round 1 of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft took place yesterday in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater. It was the city’s second time hosting the NHL Draft, with the first time coming in 2010. This was also the first decentralized draft, meaning each team remained in their respective cities, joining virtually to congratulate their picks.
The Kings were initially slotted to select 24th overall but ended up trading that pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for picks 31 and 59. The Kings were clearly confident that the player they wanted would be available for them at 31 and were also able to pick up a second-round pick, something they didn’t have heading into the draft (their own second round pick was traded when they acquired Jeannot).
With the 31st pick, the Kings selected defenseman Henry Brzustewicz from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
“I was hoping LA would pick me, I think that was my best interview and stuff like that so I had a good feeling about them and glad it came true,” Brzustewicz said.
The American-born defenseman has won two OHL championships as well as a Memorial Cup with the Knights. Brzustewicz is known for his mobility and two-way game, and compares his game to Alex Pietrangelo. His smooth skating and puck transporting capabilities allow him to break out with ease and either start or join the rush. His skill set fits that of an offensive defenseman, but he has shown the ability to be reliable in all zones.
“I think just getting better with my first three steps and getting more explosive, I think that starts in the gym […] I just want to get better all around. I think something that is pretty good in my game is my hockey IQ,” said Brzustewicz when asked what his strengths are and the things he needs to work on.
Trading down was a common theme throughout the draft for the Kings, but they did end up drafting someone in the second round with their 59th pick. The Kings selected forward Vojtech Cihar from the HC Energie Karlovy Vary in Czechia. Cihar isn’t known for his offensive flair or anything like that, but the relentless winger embodies exactly what you would want in a fourth-line grinder. He’s an energy guy and brings compete, hard on the forecheck and hard on the backcheck to force dump-ins.
Final Thoughts
Change is imminent for the Kings this offseason, especially the defensive group that now looks very thin without Spence or Gavrikov. Trying to re-sign Gavrikov is the most important thing, and if that doesn’t work out, finding a replacement will be no easy task. With reported interest in K’Andre Miller, it’s possible the Kings are setting themselves up with a possible plan B if Gavrikov walks. As far as Spence goes, Holland’s job just got a lot tougher with really only one true puck-moving defenseman on the roster. Is finding a replacement for Spence now priority No. 2? The Kings only gained $1.5 million in cap space by moving out Spence’s contract, which in the grand scheme of things isn’t much. Byram seems to be the player who fits the mold of what the Kings are missing now with Spence gone.
Acquiring an elite, game-changing talent is something the Kings need one way or another, and Holland has said multiple times that he’s willing to offer that type of contract if the opportunity presents itself. Obviously, Mitch Marner is the big fish, and the Kings are reportedly one of the teams that are high on his list. Regardless of the Kings being linked to Marner, the notion seems to be that the Vegas Golden Knights are the front-runners. If the Golden Knights end up landing Marner, the Kings only really have one, maybe two more free agent targets that could be considered a big get. Brock Boeser is one of them and a player the Kings are supposedly interested in, according to Friedman. He’s a right-shot scoring forward the Kings desperately need. He has a tremendous shot, a knack for burying second chances around the net, and can play the flank or net front on the power play.
Nikolaj Ehlers could be another target, and even though he can play both wings, he isn’t a right-shot forward. Brad Marchand, Mikael Granlund, and Jack Roslovic could all be worth kicking tires on, but none would be on the same level as Marner, Boeser, or Ehlers. Friedman also mentioned on “Oilers Now” that we shouldn’t be surprised if the Kings are interested in a Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust. Both are right-shot scoring forwards; the only difference is that acquiring one of those two would have to happen via trade.
Kings need to sort out the backup goaltending situation as well. Holland said that he has talked to David Rittich’s agent, but there’s no indication that an offer was made or if he plans on offering him an extension. With Erik Portillo and Pheonix Copley both signed, it’s possible one of them could be Darcy Kuemper’s backup next season. There has also been chatter of the Kings being interested in Jake Allen. I wonder if they look at Dan Vladar, who has proven to be a very reliable backup and could be a cheaper option.
