The Los Angeles Kings are currently navigating one of their most turbulent stretches of the 2025-26 season. Here are the major headlines dominating the news cycle and their upcoming schedule.
A Major Coaching Shakeup
The biggest story in Los Angeles right now is the dismissal of head coach Jim Hiller. Following a brutal 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and a skid where the team dropped five of their last six games, general manager Ken Holland fired Hiller on Sunday, March 1. Associate head coach D.J. Smith has been promoted to interim head coach for the remainder of the season, marking a desperate push to right the ship and get the team back into a wild-card spot.
Devastating Injury Setbacks
The roster has been hit hard by the injury bug right out of the Olympic break. Star forward Kevin Fiala is out for the season with a broken left leg sustained while playing for Switzerland at the Olympics.
Furthermore, Andrei Kuzmenko is week-to-week (and potentially out for the remainder of the regular season) following meniscus surgery. Drew Doughty, Joel Armia, and Trevor Moore are all out of the lineup with illness or injuries for at least the next few days.
Trade Deadline Buzz
With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching and the team needing to patch the offensive holes left by Fiala and Kuzmenko, rumors are swirling. Even after successfully acquiring Artemi Panarin prior to the Olympic break, the Kings are reportedly kicking the tires on Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine to inject some much-needed scoring depth.
Doing it for Kopitar
Lurking behind all of these moves is the emotional weight of Captain Anze Kopitar’s impending retirement at the end of this season. The front office and the players are feeling the urgency to avoid wasting his farewell tour.
Kings Upcoming Schedule
This is a make-or-break week for the Kings. Sitting just three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot (currently held by the Seattle Kraken), D.J. Smith’s “clean slate” approach will be immediately tested.
The outlook for this week is highly dependent on how the locker room responds to the coaching change. They start with an incredibly tough test tonight against the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche, who boast the league’s top-scoring offense. However, the schedule softens slightly after that.
Having three consecutive home games allows Smith to establish his system and build some confidence in front of the home crowd against the New York Islanders and Canadiens before hitting the road for an afternoon makeup game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. If the Kings can pull four or more points out of this stretch, it could provide the spark they need to get their playoff push back on track.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (Eastern) |
| Mon, Mar. 2 | vs. Colorado Avalanche | Crypto.com Arena | 10:30 PM EST |
| Thu, Mar. 5 | vs. New York Islanders | Crypto.com Arena | 9:30 PM EST |
| Sat, Mar. 7 | vs. Montreal Canadiens | Crypto.com Arena | 7:00 PM EST |
| Mon, Mar. 9 | @ Columbus Blue Jackets | Nationwide Arena | 4:00 PM EDT |
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