Training camp and preseason are all about getting back into the swing of things for the most part, as well as a chance for a few to prove themselves and make their case as to why they should be on the final roster. On one side, it’s an internal battle, and on the other, a chance to iron out the kinks and be ready to go when opening night rolls around. It’s part of the reason why Los Angeles Kings head coach Jim Hiller wanted to have close to the full roster playing in the final two preseason games to see line rushes, where players fit, and what to expect when it starts to matter.
The Kings wrapped up their preseason Saturday afternoon with another win over their in-state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, giving them a positive 5-2-0 record. While they got the win, it was nowhere near pretty, allowing the Ducks to come back down 4-0 late in the third. That’s not the way you want to end your last “gimme,” but it is still preseason at the end of the day. Although there are valuable takeaways you can make from a seven-game preseason schedule, it’s important not to read into anything too heavily. With that being said, let’s take a look at a few things that have stood out so far.
4th Line Riches
The story of the Kings’ preseason has been the play of their fourth-line talent. Jeff Malott, Samuel Helenius, and Alex Turcotte all had great showings throughout training camp and preseason, and it’s put the Kings in a pretty rich situation regarding players of NHL caliber. A fourth line that was looked at as weak or untrustworthy a lot of the time last season (as was shown by not only their deployment but the Kings’ decision to run 11 forwards and seven defenseman quite a bit) has now quickly transformed.
The Kings went out and acquired Corey Perry and Joel Armia to develop a robust fourth line. Now, with Malott’s and Helenius’ development and emergence, the Kings have options. For now, with Perry sidelined due to injury, it leaves one spot open for either Malott or Helenius to slot into. The point is that all three of Turcotte, Malott, and Helenius have proven themselves capable of playing at the NHL level, which is something that Hiller has taken notice of, and there’s a good chance we could see a lot of different fourth-line combos.
“We feel that everybody can play, it’s obvious,” Hiller said. “We have 14 NHL forwards currently on the roster. It’s just going to be a matter of, against this team, against that team, who’s in, what does it look like. I would not say that there’s a battle between players at all for roster spots at this point.”
The Kings now have a lot of depth in their forward group; it’s a lot deeper than last season, and for that reason, the Kings’ lineup will be different. Hiller is confident with the way his team looks right now, and we can expect to see all 12 forwards and six defenseman, as opposed to the 11 and seven he rolled a ton last season.
“I would say (with) the current makeup of the team, the way it is now, I think you would see a lot less of that,” Hiller said. “I just think where we’re situated with depth we have I don’t think you are going to see that nearly as much this year.”
Turcotte’s versatility is important to mention as well, and the fact that he can play both center and wing makes it easier for either Malott to slot into the wing or Helenius to slot into the fourth-line center position. Playing higher in the lineup isn’t a task too tall for him, either, and his ability to do that just gives the Kings more flexibility all around.
“It’s one of the players you are really proud of,” Hiller said. “He’s really gotten to the point where, ‘wherever you want to put me, I’m ready to go,’ […] so he’s really comfortable, and that makes us comfortable.
Expecting a Big Season From Fiala
Aside from Malott having a big preseason, Kevin Fiala was another player who just looked terrific whenever he played. We all know what Fiala can bring to the table and just how offensively gifted he is, but production hasn’t always been as consistent. Throughout the preseason, there was definitely a level of confidence and poise to Fiala’s game that made him look more dominant. The way he’s skating, the space and opportunities he created with the puck on his stick, and just his decision-making all seem to be clicking and clicking at an elite level. Fiala has garnered attention from his teammates in addition to from The Hockey Writers.
“I think he had like, before he came here (Los Angeles), 30-some goals in Minnesota,” forward Phillip Danault said following Fiala’s overtime winner on Saturday. “He was already that kind of player, but maybe not that consistent, and he is now. He works hard, from like half of the year last year, he really stepped up, and it seems like he’s already there this year. I mean, you can see it on the ice, you can feel it, he’s hungry.”
Fiala scored 35 goals last season, which was a career high for him, even though he went through some setbacks and difficulties at times. While we only saw him play three preseason games, which isn’t a ton, he showed enough to the point where I’d be confident in saying he looks like a player who could hit another career high in goals and potentially pot 40. Not only has he looked dominant on an individual level, but having the chance to build on his chemistry with Quinton Byfield after already clicking a bunch together last season, Fiala is in a prime position to be a major offensive contributor this season.
Dumoulin Looks Promising
With what Brian Dumoulin put on display throughout the preseason, I think we are going to get more than what most expected. Obviously, combining age with the money and term, not a lot of people were thrilled with the acquisition — especially when another similar deal was given to another defenseman at the same stage in his career in Cody Ceci — but Dumoulin showed a few elements the Kings would welcome in with open arms.
Dumoulin is known for his defensive, shut-down traits, and after losing a massive shut-down presence in Vladislav Gavrikov, those qualities were needed. Dumoulin looked just fine in that essence but also displayed a strong ability to jump up into the play, step up/pinch on the blue line, and make a play, facilitate, and find open seams up the ice and in the offensive zone. He looks to bring an offensive flair that Gavrikov didn’t have a lot of. Dumoulin’s mobility and puck-moving ability stood out throughout the short sample of three preseason games, and it’s something the Kings could really benefit from both on the breakout and the cycle in the offensive zone.
Five Forward Power-Play Unit Returning
The most intriguing part of the Kings heading into this season, which should be much better than it was last season, is the power play. Not many teams run a five-forward power play unit, but for the Kings, once Andrei Kuzmenko was brought in, it was something they deployed quite a bit. Throughout the preseason, whenever the Kings’ top unit players were in the lineup, Kuzmenko, Byfield, Fiala, Adrian Kempe, and Anze Kopitar came out. That’s as elite as a five-man unit can get for the Kings, and now with a full season of Kuzmenko, Fiala looking dangerous as ever, and Byfield hoping to take that next step production-wise, the Kings’ power play will definitely be something to look out for.
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We got a glimpse of what’s possibly to come on Saturday versus the Ducks. The Kings had three power-play opportunities, capitalizing on two of them, and each unit contributed with one. The one thing that was noticeable was how they were setting it up. There seemed to be a focus on feeding pucks to the middle for a quick one-timer, either from the left faceoff dot or behind the net. Obviously, it’s just one game, but it was clear the Kings were trying to get quick shots off in the slot area. It’s something to keep an eye on as 2025-26 progresses because last season, there was a focus on finding that cross-ice pass to either Fiala or Kempe on the right cycle, two players who rarely miss when they get a shot off in that area. It just goes to show how much more dynamic and creative the Kings’ power play can be, and the different options they have now while playing a five-forward unit.
The end of the final stretched-out, seven-game preseason is finally here, and the real deal gets underway tomorrow night. The Kings will host the Colorado Avalanche on opening night for their first tilt of the 2025-26 season.
