LA General Manager Ken Holland didn’t sit on his hands come the annual opening of NHL Free Agency on July 1. By signing a handful of players on both sides of the puck, he attempted to bolster the Kings offense and fortify a roster he’ll now hand over to coach Peter Laviolette.
Later in the day, Holland then hosted a Zoom call with media to walk through a busy day of moves. Here’s what we learned during that conversation.
Offense Is Priority No. 1
Holland tackled the subject head on. “Offense was something we needed to address this offseason,” he said. “We didn’t score enough last year.”
That’s the logic behind bringing in Mats Zuccarello on a one-year deal — he’s somebody who Holland says checks a similar box to Panarin: a high-IQ playmaker, a creator for his linemates and has historically produced on the power play. Pair those two with Kevin Fiala’s healthy return, along with names like Byfield, Laferriere, and Kempe, and it’s clear Holland is betting on having enough talent for two solid scoring lines, with a third that can chip in when needed.
The Worm Is Back
The as expected Corey Perry reunion comes on a one-year, $1M contract that also bonuses tied to games played in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Holland was candid about why the deadline trade happened in the first place — two or three teams were calling, and he ended up in Tampa in exchange for a second-round pick. Holland never stopped valuing him: “He’s just a character guy,” said LA’s GM, while also pointing to the big goals Perry delivered early last season.
Replacing Kopitar Is a Two-Man Job
With Anze Kopitar’s retirement now in full swing, center depth was the single biggest hole to fill this summer — and Holland is addressed it in a pair of ways. A two-year deal is in place with center Erik Haula, and Holland confirmed our earlier report of the Kings and Scott Laughton putting the finishing touches on a three-year agreement.
New Hands Steering The Ship
The new-look staff has some shape now. Ray Whitney, who won a Cup under Laviolette in Carolina in 2006, will run LA’s power play, with Phil Housley assisting. Holland’s pitch for Whitney was about the resume and the person behind it: “He’s got a high hockey IQ [and] was an offensive point-getter in his playing days… a lot of passion,” Holland noted. “Between Phil and Ray, I think our power play is in good hands.”
Too Many Players, Not Enough Spots
Count up all the forwards LA has under contract and there are simply not enough spots for all of them, and Holland knows it. “We might move one or two [forwards]… I think we let the dust settle over the next few days,” he said, as free agency continues to play out league-wide. Don’t expect any more forwards being signed — the numbers simply don’t allow for it.
The real competition is on the back end. LA signed two puck-moving defensemen out of the American Hockey League: Erik Gustafsson, who has played for Laviolette twice before and can “run a second power play, get the puck moving,” and Scott Perunovich, a former high second-round pick by St. Louis coming off what Holland described as “a tremendous year” in the AHL.
Both are set to compete with a group Holland previously mentioned — Kirsanov, Woolley, and Booth — for the roster’s seventh-defenseman spot. “I would expect one of those guys to be on the team,” Holland remarked, adding that pro experience should give Gustafsson and Perunovich a leg up in a compressed 12-day training camp.
For ease of understanding and a quick peek ahead, we’ve pulled this article together:
FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2026-27 Line Combos, Plus Salary Cap Outlook After July 1 Signings
And for more details on what Holland has been up to today, be sure to check out these other articles:
REPORT: Kings Set to Add Free Agent Forward Mats Zuccarello on One-Year Deal
REPORT: UFA Gustafsson Closing in on One-Year Deal with Kings, Update on Giroux and Others
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Holland addressed the center position but he didn’t solve it. The team got significantly older and maybe a little deeper on the forward side today. They still desperately need a top 4 defenseman and a C1 or C2. That hasn’t changed.
I think it’s safe to say now that the Ken Holland experiment has been a disaster (after only one year). I want to type the words, “Ken Holland” couldn’t do a better job at destroying the immediate future of this franchise if he intended to do just that. Then I think…there are several roster transactions he can still complete that would make matters infinitely worse.
Kings fans…the call is coming from inside the house…
This team I belive is now the oldest avg age player team in the NHL. You would think they would go/get younger with Kopi leaving but now this team probably won’t make the playoffs but be in black hole in the draft. I just wish they would do a full rebuild already like SJ and Ana. SJ is going to be scary for quite awhile and will be like Vegas where top tier players will want to go.
I doubt Panarin will want to stay and likely will be traded at the deadline.
The Kings have 0 top skilled center. Byfield is barely a second line center since he regressed already last year and not really putting up points. Not that there are top 3 centers they can just grab right now but adding these old players isn’t going to want to make anyone named McDavid nor Matthews want to play in LA. I am willing to bet if they leave their teams that LV, SJ, Dal will likely get them.
Luc needs to be moved to like a PR position. He is destroying this team with his GM hires.