LA Kings’ Toughest Road Games of the 2026-27 Season – The Hockey Writers – Los Angeles Kings

The 2026-27 NHL season is approaching rapidly with the Los Angeles Kings’ first preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights scheduled less than a month away. With each campaign comes new opportunities, expectations, and challenges. The question surrounding this particular season remains the same: which road games will be the toughest for the players?

Seven Games Can Be Challenging

The longest stretch of the season spans seven games from Jan. 23-30, 2027. The Kings will need to find a way to maintain their energy and stay healthy through the demanding stretch. Following the seven-game stretch, the NHL All-Star Weekend will take place on Feb. 5-6, giving Kings players a chance to rest and recover before returning to the road. Los Angeles will then resume play on Feb. 8 against the Dallas Stars before facing the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9. Talk about a long stretch on the road!

The First Stop

The first challenge is being away from Los Angeles for a long time. The Kings begin their trip on Jan. 23 against Nashville before moving onto the Florida Panthers the following day. Both are scheduled for afternoon games, so it shouldn’t be too bad. Then, there’s a one day break, usually the travel day, before the team moves on to take the Tampa Bay Lightning. Again, another afternoon game and it will continue for the next two games against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Carolina Hurricanes before the All-Star break.

The first five games creates a unique situation of sorts. Rather than pushing through all seven games and hoping for the best outcome, the Kings will start their road trip in a lengthy run and then finish nicely and short against the Stars and Blues before returning home to Crypto.com Arena.

Though, the first stretch will require Los Angeles to manage their energy efficiently and strategically. They cannot afford any costly mistakes, especially as they look to make a potential postseason run. Finding ways to stay disciplined and fresh will require a lot of mental and physical energy as it will be crucial for the team’s success. If the Kings can remain consistent and tough, they could place themselves in a strong position as the season progresses forward.

The All-Star Break Should Be Used Wisely

The NHL All-Star break is slated to take place on Feb. 5 and 6 in Elmont, New York. It’s featuring a 3-on-3 tournament with several countries representing from Canada, Sweden, the United States, Finland, and a “World” team consisting of international players from other countries not mentioned out of the five. This break could be a good rejuvenation period for the team as they will need to collect themselves and regain their energy before hitting the road again. With a short gap of time allowed off, Los Angeles will need to make the most of this All-Star break by using it to rest and recover.

Tough Games, Tougher Opponents

Travel may make the Kings’ schedule more challenging, but the teams they will face are even more daunting. Considering the schedule, the two trips to Florida will be the most important portion of the trip. The Panthers and Lightning have been difficult teams to play against for several seasons and playing in their territory adds another layer to the mix. There will be a little time for Los Angeles to prepare after their first game before moving on to the next. Anze Kopitar’s absence adds to the challenge, as new leaders will need to step up.

I think the most exciting yet difficult game will be against Andrei Svechnikov and the Hurricanes. They are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and their matchup against the Kings should be one worth watching. Carolina has plenty of confidence coming off its championship run, while Svechnikov and Brandon Bussi will be two of the key players Los Angeles will need to keep an eye on. The Kings will need to play good defense and limit Carolina’s chances to have a shot at winning.

One Advantage Here

Besides breaking down the schedule, how can Los Angeles survive its longest road trip of the season? In three simple words: manage, scoring, and goaltending. If the Kings can manage their opponents, produce consistent scoring, and rely on their goaltender between the pipes and their top line to deliver, they should have a strong chance of navigating the demanding stretch successfully.