LA Kings, Holland Make Moves for the Future at 2026 Trade Deadline
Coming into the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Los Angeles Kings knew moves were coming.
GM Ken Holland made three moves, changing the look of the current roster. The moves seem focused on the future of the Kings rather than the current state.
We cannot blame Holland for looking ahead, because the pipeline needed improvement.
Holland traded left winger Warren Foegele to the Ottawa Senators, right winger Corey Perry to the Tampa Bay Lightning, while dealing two third-round picks. He did acquire a third-round pick in 2026, two second-round picks in 2026 and 2028, and center Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Kings also signed left winger Mathieu Joseph to a 1-year, $900,000 deal.
A month before the trade deadline, Holland acquired forward Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers in exchange for Liam Greentree, a conditional 2026 third-round pick, and a conditional 2028 fourth-round pick. The Rangers retained 50% of Panarin’s contract in the trade.
Holland has been tremendous in making deals over the past month. He got an elite scorer in Panarin, a player who can lead this team in points. He got a big-bodied bottom-six player in Joseph, who should contribute with some offensive punch. He then traded for draft picks, which the Kings needed to restock the prospect pool.
Aside from Panarin, there was no big move and no big names brought in, but that does not need to be the case.
The Kings have been successful before without any elite players, and they can do it again. By bringing in Laughton, he added a player who is excellent in all three zones and could be a critical piece in the playoffs.
With the recent trades, Los Angeles now has nine picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, six in 2027, and seven in 2028. The Kings have a big decision in the next few drafts.
Do they use those picks to draft players who could potentially play a big part in leading the organization to another Stanley Cup? Or does Holland trade those picks for a proven piece?
Either way, this gives the Kings options that can absolutely make this team better going into next season.
This season is not lost yet, but it never hurts to get a jump on 2026-27.
The Kings have filled in the holes, and now they wait to see how far these moves take them.
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