It’s inevitable. Nearly every season at training camps across the NHL, there is one player for every team who exceeds expectations and another player who disappoints.
When it comes to some of that positive shine in LA, nobody has drawn nearly as much attention as Liam Lefebvre.
And one of the many reasons that is such an interesting storyline hinges on the fact that he was just drafted a few months ago.
Taken in the second round, 46th overall (with a pick LA acquired when they moved Phil Danault last December), the QMJHL product burst onto the scene since first arriving in LA at Development Camp in July and he’s never looked back. He earned universal praise at the Rookie Faceoff event a few weeks ago, coming away unofficially as one of the team’s top three players — something that almost never happens with a first-year player at that tournament.
As if that wasn’t enough, he also ended up earning himself a preseason game with the big club Tuesday night vs. Utah — again, something that rarely happens with such an inexperienced player at this level. And here’s the kicker, according to some of our sources inside the organization, there was serious talk about possibly letting him play a second game Wednesday in Anaheim.
While it didn’t ultimately happen — he was caught in a numbers crunch — it certainly speaks to the impression he’s made on LA coaches and management in a very short period of time.
So, what’s next?
For starters, the team will soon announce that he’s headed back to junior hockey for his 2026-27 season. Unlike several other players in camp, who we can only speculate about where they’ll play beyond this year, the Quebec native seems to have things mapped out for the foreseeable future.
He’s headed back to Cape Breton today, where he’ll join his junior squad as they prepare to challenge for a QMJHL championship and possible Memorial Cup run this season. Oddly enough, it’s a team he was just traded to a few weeks before June’s NHL draft, which only further adds to the whirlwind he’s experienced in just the past three months.
How has he been so even-keeled through it all?
“I think it’s [about] going with the day-to-day stuff, whether that’s coming to the rink, going to the gym, just kind of staying level-headed with all that, not getting too high or too low,” Lefebvre shared. “I feel like that’s allowed me to keep my composure. It’s been pretty busy and eventful, but I just keep working and doing the things that got me here.”
Indeed, he does, and the results speak for themselves.
“It was a great honor,” he said, when asked about wearing a Kings jersey vs. the Mammoth. “Obviously, whenever you put an NHL jersey on, it’s a big moment. I was just proud to get out there. [Getting an assist] felt good, for sure. Whenever I can chip in and help the team try and win [is great] … It was a big step up. You kind of look at their lineup — a lot of NHL regular guys on there. So for me, it was [about] adjusting to that pace. I thought the first period was kind of an adjustment period, and then after that I was able to find the legs a little bit.”
More from Kings prospect Liam Lefebvre after his first NHL preseason game tonight…#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/627CKiiznP
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) September 23, 2026
Regardless of how things turn out for him this year in the QMJHL, Lefebvre is already committed to joining Boston University starting in the fall of 2027. So, while it will likely be a few years before the 6-foot-3 winger reaches the NHL, it’s certainly not the last you’ll be hearing of him. His stock has never been higher — a phrase we expect to be repeating several times throughout the next 12 months.
MORE LA KINGS NEWS:
Thoughts from Lefebvre on Fighting a Giant, Scoring Goals, and Being a Rising Kings Prospect
High-End Prospect Liam Lefebvre Researched Coach Before Joining Kings for Rookie Faceoff
Lefebvre Checks In from Kings Camp, Not Departing for QMJHL Quite Yet
Pregame Quotes: Laviolette Talks Lefebvre, Clarke, and Goalies in Advance of Preseason Home Debut
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