It’s time for the third installment of the season for the LA Kings Prospect Tracker. This week showcases a big tilt from Lucas Ambrosio, Jimmy Lombardi continuing to be one of the OHL’s top performers, a couple of highlight-reel one-timers from Ryan Conmy and Kristian Epperson, and Tobias Krestan’s first points in the DEL.

The following reports cover games played through the end of day Tuesday, October 20th.

Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

Lucas Ambrosio, Erie Otters, LH Defenseman (223rd overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 2 goals, 3 assists, plus-4, 18 PIM in 10 games played

A rough week for Ambrosio, who was held off the scoresheet in both games as Erie was swept — 3-1 to the Soo and 7-1 to London. But the 6-foot-4 rearguard did not go down without a fight in that second one — literally. He dropped the gloves with Kane Barch and more than held his own, throwing close to 20 punches and knocking Barch’s bucket clean off before it was over. 

Lucas Ambrosio dropped the gloves on Saturday and dished out a beatdown #GoKingsGo https://t.co/RH6qOBHyjU

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) October 21, 2026

Jan Chovan, Sudbury Wolves, Center (184th overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 3 goals, 7 assists, plus-1, 0 PIM in 8 games played

A quieter week for Chovan, who picked up a single assist across three games. Sudbury opened with a decisive 6-2 win over Windsor before dropping the next two, 4-1 to London and 5-2 to Guelph. Even so, the Wolves still hold first place in the Central Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Chovan remains north of a point per game and is top four on the team in both goals and points.

Adam Goljer, Kingston Frontenacs, RH Defenseman (49th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 3 goals, 3 assists, minus-6, 6 PIM in 10 games played

Kingston took a 5-4 overtime win over Oshawa before falling 5-2 to Brampton, a loss in which Goljer picked up his lone point of the week, an assist. The Frontenacs sit third in the East Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. 

Jimmy Lombardi, Flint Firebirds, Center (125th overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 4 goals, 10 assists, plus-10, 2 PIM in 8 games played

Lombardi’s six-game point streak came to an end in a 3-2 overtime loss to Guelph, but the Flint captain answered the next night, posting a goal and an assist as the Firebirds flipped the script to beat Owen Sound by the same 3-2 score. The fourth-round pick has fallen from fourth to sixth in the league scoring race, but the pace is more important than the place. 14 points in eight games puts him on track for more than 100, which would blow past the 72 he posted a year ago and stand as a career high.

Jimmy Lombardi goes high blocker-side for his 4th goal of the season #GoKingsGo https://t.co/QizHwyzEBN

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) October 18, 2026

Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)

Liam Lefebvre, Cape Breton Eagles, Right Wing (46th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 5 goals, 5 assists, plus-6, 12 PIM in 8 games played

Lefebvre picked up an assist in Cape Breton’s lone game this week, a 4-1 win over Saint John. The win came with a rough patch, as Lefebvre took four minor penalties — an out-of-character night for a player who previously had taken only two penalties through seven games.

The bigger story this week is less about Lefebvre and more about Cape Breton. Currently in their 30th anniversary season, the team put all their chips in this summer looking for their first ever trip to the QMJHL final, and a chance at making it to the Memorial Cup. A slower-than-expected 3-3-4 start prompted a note from ownership promising to be better and deliver results. Lefebvre, who they acquired from last year’s QMJHL champion Chicoutimi, is one of the players that promise is riding on. 

A message from Eagles ownership. https://t.co/YTBbWNfH7B

— Cape Breton Eagles (@CBEHockey) October 14, 2026

Yegor Rybkin, Moncton Wildcats, Goalie (89th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 3.42 GAA, .899 SV%, 0 SO, 4 wins in 5 games played

Rybkin made his only start of the week count, stopping 23 shots in a 6-4 win over Shawinigan. Through five games, the 6-foot-6 netminder has lost just one game all season in his first taste of North American hockey. Moncton currently sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-4 record. 

Western Hockey League (WHL)

Giorgos Pantelas, Penticton Vees, RH Defenseman (153rd overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 2 assists, plus-1, 0 PIM in 10 games played

Pantelas picked up an assist in the last of Penticton’s three games this week, a stretch in which the Vees came away without a win and slipped to eighth in the Western Conference. The numbers are quiet, but his role is not: the fifth-round pick is logging second-pairing minutes as an all-situations defender and has still not taken a single penalty 10 games into the season.

College Hockey (NCAA)

Ryan Conmy, Boston College, Right Wing (182nd overall in 2023)
2026-27 Stats: 1 goal, 1 assist, minus-1, 0 PIM in 3 games played

Conmy notched his first points of the season this weekend, and he did it in style. He set up first-round pick Oscar Hemming with a pinpoint feed, then fired off a one-timer on the power play for the insurance marker in a 4-0 shutout of Will Sharpe and St. Cloud State. Boston College could not complete the sweep, however, falling 5-3 the next night to split the series, and sliding from 16th to 18th in the national rankings.

Conmy is seeing about three fewer minutes of ice time per night than he did a year ago, but his shot hasn’t lost any juice. If he keeps firing the puck the way he did this weekend, the goals will follow no matter the minutes.

Ryan Conmy with a pinpoint assist on this goal by Oscar Hemming! #GoKingsGo https://t.co/AEzTuaVX4T

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) October 16, 2026

RYAN CONMY ONE-TIMER ON THE POWER PLAY #GoKingsGo https://t.co/ywXbKhVqt5

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) October 16, 2026

Kristian Epperson, Denver, Forward (88th overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 1 goal, 4 assists, plus-2, 0 PIM in 4 games played

Denver lost both games of its home-opening series to Michigan. The Pioneers raised their 11th national championship banner on Friday, before losing 4-1 to the Wolverines. They lost again on Saturday in a more closely contested 5-4 game, where Epperson opened the scoring with a power-play one-timer from the high slot. Michigan, the team Denver beat in last spring’s Frozen Four semifinal, got their revenge and took DU’s spot atop the national rankings, knocking the Pioneers to fourth. 

KRISTIAN EPPERSON TOP-SHELF ONE-TIMER #GoKingsGo https://t.co/ZCw9rFolZM

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) October 18, 2026

Caeden Herrington, Penn State, RH Defenseman (120th overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-2, 0 PIM in 4 games played

Herrington picked up his first assist of the season in a 5-2 defeat to Robert Morris, part of an 0-2 weekend for Penn State that also included a loss to Quinnipiac. The Vermont transfer is working in a bottom-four role in his sophomore season. The Nittany Lions are winless through four games and unranked.

Alex Kostov, Quinnipiac, Forward (177th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 3 assists, plus-2, 15 PIM in 4 games played

Quinnipiac won their only game of the week, beating Penn State 6-3 — but Kostov wasn’t in the lineup. After being ejected from last week’s game against Maine for a charging penalty — that left the player down on the ice and injured — it is safe to assume that there has been some disciplinary action behind closed doors. The ECAC does not publicly announce suspensions, so we will just have to wait until Kostov is next spotted in the starting lineup to know his status.

Brendan McMorrow, Denver, Left Wing (196th overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 2 assists, plus-3, 14 PIM in 4 games played

McMorrow picked up his second assist of the season in Denver’s 5-4 Saturday loss to Michigan, the back end of the sweep that cost the Pioneers their No. 1 ranking. The bigger development was his usage: his ice time jumped from around 12 minutes a night to 15 in that game, a sign the staff is willing to lean on the sophomore more as the season gets going.

James Reeder, Denver, Right Wing (198th overall in 2024)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-1, 0 PIM in 4 games played

It took just two games for Reeder to reclaim his spot on Denver’s first line. As we have noted before, he is David Carle’s most trusted forward, having led all Denver forwards in ice time last season. This year the minutes have not caught up to that yet — he is averaging 14 a night through four games, down from 18. Reeder did not find the scoresheet over the weekend against Michigan, but he generated three shots in the banner-night opener. The drop in ice time isn’t a large concern and should climb as Denver’s season goes on.

Will Sharpe, St. Cloud State, LH Defenseman (216th overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, even plus-minus, 2 PIM in 4 games played

Sharpe and St. Cloud State got their revenge in the series, bouncing back from a loss in the opener to win the second game. The former WHLer is settling into third-pairing minutes, averaging 12 and a half a night in his first season of college hockey.

Jack Sparkes, Clarkson, RH Defenseman (180th overall in 2022)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, even plus-minus, 0 PIM in 1 game played

Clarkson’s lone game of the week was a 5-0 shutout victory over Canisius. Sparkes saw limited minutes in it, however, logging just three minutes of ice time while playing the role of seventh defenseman. Clarkson will take on Vermont this weekend — hopefully with Sparkes getting some more opportunity.

Thomas Vandenberg, Providence, Center (103rd overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 0 assists, even plus-minus, 2 PIM in 2 games played

Vandenberg sat out last weekend after missing practice time in the days beforehand, with coach Nate Leaman calling him 50-50 ahead of the game. The freshman will look to get back in the lineup when Providence next takes the ice.

Blake Zielinski, Providence, Right Wing (80th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 2 goals, 1 assist, even plus-minus, 0 PIM in 3 games played

Zielinski did not register a point in Providence’s 3-2 win over Union, coach Nate Leaman’s former program, but he chipped in two shots on goal. The freshman is off to a solid start overall, with two goals and an assist through his first three college games. Despite playing limited minutes as a freshman, he has been a top-five performer to kick off the season for the Friars.

European Leagues

Elton Hermansson, MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan), Right Wing (19th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 5 goals, 4 assists, minus-1, 8 PIM in 12 games played

Only one game this week for Hermansson and MoDo, a 6-2 victory over Vasteras in which the Kings first-round pick picked up an assist. MoDo are fourth in the Allsvenskan and seven points behind first place, and have a showdown with top-ranked AIK coming up.

Tobias Krestan, Eisbären Berlin (DEL), Right Wing (209th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 1 goal, 1 assist, minus-1, 0 PIM in 10 games played

Krestan put up not only his first goal but his first assist as well this week, in Eisbären Berlin’s 4-0 win over Krefeld. He set up the opener, then scored the insurance marker himself on a solo rush in the third period. The points were the first of his young career in the DEL, and after the game he played to the crowd, conducting a celebratory chant.

Glückwunsch an Tobias Krestan zum ersten Tor und Assist in der DEL. #Eishockey #DEL #KEVvsEBB https://t.co/a2wrTXC7WD

— Maarten (@1954Maarten) October 19, 2026

Petteri Rimpinen, Kiekko-Espoo, Goalie (152nd overall in 2025)
2026-27 Stats: 2.45 GAA, .903 SV%, 2 assists, 1 SO, 5 wins in 11 games played

Rimpinen dropped both of his starts this week, getting next to no support in front of him as Kiekko-Espoo managed only a goal or two in each. His save percentage has slid 21 points (from .924 to .903) over the past two weeks, and four of his last five starts have ended in losses — but the record doesn’t reflect the quality of his play. The team will need to give him some defensive support if they want to start winning games.

Vertti Svensk, SaiPa (Liiga), LH Defenseman (145th overall in 2026)
2026-27 Stats: 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-2, 2 PIM in 13 games played

Svensk put up his first point of the season in his 13th game, an assist on the game-tying goal that carried SaiPa to a shootout they would go on to win. The team has won four of their last five and hold fifth place in Liiga. Svensk is still young and learning how to play in the pro league, but getting his first point on the board hopefully marks the moment the confidence in his offensive game starts to take hold.

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In what could be the first of multiple roster moves, the Kings are set to recall forward Jared Wright from AHL Ontario. He is expected to rejoin the team in New York prior to their game vs. the Islanders on Thursday.

ROSTER MOVE

LA Kings expected to recall Jared Wright from AHL Ontario. Will join the team on current road trip.

#GoKingsGo

— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) October 21, 2026

The news comes after Quinton Byfield did not complete the game on Tuesday in Washington, leaving after the first period with an upper-body injury. He is said to be day-to-day, per coach Peter Laviolette.

As for Wright, he has already been recalled and sent back down to the Reign several times already this season. Essentially, management has preferred to have the 23-year-old forward playing in the AHL if the alternative was to be a healthy scratch with the Kings.

After suiting up for 23 NHL games last season, Wright has only played one game for the Kings thus far in their 2026-27 campaign. He’s also played five games with Ontario, including in their victory last night on home ice at Toyota Arena.

It’s important to note, Wright is waiver exempt. Thus, he can move freely between the two leagues for now.

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For the first time this season, the Reign will face off with one of the AHL’s Canadian teams, when Calgary arrives at Toyota Arena for a rare Tuesday night tilt in the Inland Empire. While it might be the only home game scheduled on this night of the week all season long, it will mark the first of eight matchups overall with the Wranglers in 2026-27.

Ontario coach Andrew Lord will be focused on guiding his team back to the win column after a disappointing 5-2 loss to the visiting Henderson Silver Knights this past weekend.

This matchup will be a measuring stick for Ontario, as Calgary enters the contest atop the Pacific Division standings with a 5-2 record. Calgary rank second in the Pacific in both power-play and penalty-kill efficiency, which is exactly the matchup Ontario don’t want right now. The Reign have struggled in both areas and have spent far too much time shorthanded — with six penalties on Saturday alone. They killed all six, but the steady trips to the box made it nearly impossible to build any momentum.

On a positive note, Aatu Jamsen scored his first goal of the season on the power play, with Kenny Connors and Koehn Ziemmer picking up the assists. The much-needed power-play tally cut Ontario’s deficit to one, giving the Reign a chance to claw their way back into the contest.

The two teams’ season series will really ramp up immediately following Thanksgiving next month, as they’ll play three straight times, in what will basically amount to five contests in less than 10 days over a slightly modified home-and-home stretch.

That’s down the road, though.

Tonight, Kings prospect Vojtech Cihar is expected to rotate out. The 19-year-old native of Czechia continues to seek a consistent spot in the lineup, as he works to find his footing in his first full season of pro hockey in North America.

With Jared Woolley still sidelined for a few more weeks, Lord’s defensive group is expected to remain intact for this one. Meanwhile, Carter George will likely get the start in net. He earned a victory in his first and only start of the season, over Coachella Valley, where he made 15 of 17 saves en route to the overtime win.

Reign Projected Lineup

Below is our projected lineup. If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.

Chromiak – Pederson – Wright
Jamsen – Connors – Hughes
Pinelli – Guttman – Ziemmer
Isogai – Lawrence – Doty

Kirsanov – Perunovich
Booth – Brzustewicz
Hicketts – Millar

George
H. Slukynsky

Likely scratches: (F) Cihar, G. Slukynsky (D) Woolley and (G) Portillo

Injured: (F) Jenik (D) Dvorak, Salin

How to Watch

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Pacific and all regular-season games will be streamed via FloSports.

Also, a Reign radio feed can be found here.

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Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

There’s no soft way to say it, the Kings are in trouble.

Nearly every stat suggests something ominous. Despite hiring an offensive-minded coach in Peter Laviolette over the summer, the team is simply not producing offense at the necessary level through six games.

While they’re last in total goals scored, part of that can be attributed to the fact they’ve also played the fewest games in the NHL. Over half the league has played at least nine games — some teams have played as many as 11 — with the Kings having only skated in six contests thus far.

The real problem is, they haven’t translated effort into wins yet. Instead, LA is 0-4-2.

Over the past 20 years, only one team that went winless through six games made the playoffs. It was the 2008-09 Flyers, who went from 0-3-3 to finishing with 99 points.

Laviolette’s own history may be working against him tonight, as well.

Since coaching #ALLCAPS, #gokingsgo boss Peter Laviolette has gone 0-4-0 at Washington. The Caps outscored his Rangers 19-9 in those games. First visit with the Kings is Tuesday.

— Andrew Knoll (@AndrewKnollNHL) October 19, 2026

Now, to be fair, that’s a stat that has nothing to do with the Kings — and certainly nothing to do with LA’s current roster.

Speaking of the roster, change is coming.

Earlier today, the team activated Mats Zuccarello from injured reserve. If one chooses to weave a positive tale from the Kings season to date, the 39-year-old’s absence can be part of that narrative. He’s missed the last three games. Was he even fully healthy to start the year, after suffering an upper-body injury at the beginning of training camp?

Add in Alex Turcotte being sidelined, and Laviolette has been without two forwards he was counting on to help provide offense for a goal starved team. And that isn’t even factoring in Kevin Fiala’s ongoing recovery.

If the Kings are to save their season, they need wins and they need them quickly. Forget about getting to Thanksgiving and checking the standings. Teams sitting more than four points out of a playoff spot on Nov. 1 have about a 15% chance of qualifying for the postseason.

The time is now.

However, the question is how and who?

Zuccarello coming back in should lead to Laviolette reverting to a more traditional 12+6 configuration. If so, who comes out on defense may be the biggest tell of his tenure to date. It’s been pretty clear that he prefers to play Erik Gustafsson on the blueline. That’s been possible when he’s used an 11+7 setup. To get down to six rearguards, somebody has to sit. The odd man out would likely be Joel Edmundson, Brian Dumoulin, or Cody Ceci. Last year, the latter would have been an obvious candidate. Not true this year.

Based on the way the Kings were practicing late last week, Ceci appeared to be seventh defenseman. We’ll see come warmups. Wait for the song, as Darryl Sutter used to say.

Several things have to give right now, and interesting times lie ahead.

For a further look at things prior to puck drop, be sure to check this out:

NHL RADIO REPLAY: Mayor’s Minutes – Turning Around the Kings, Byfield, Defense, and LA Trade Rumors

Statistically Speaking

— Artemi Panarin has maintained a point-per-game average against Washington throughout his career, scoring 38 points (14G, 24A) in 38 career regular-season games. Among all active skaters to face the Capitals at least 30 times, Panarin is one of just 13 players with a point-per-game (P/GP) average of 1.00 or higher against them, while his six power-play goals are tied for his most against any one opponent.

— Most recently, Panarin had a pair of points in each of his last two visits to the Nation’s capital, coming last December as a member of the Rangers.

— Coming off of his third assist of the campaign on Saturday, Adrian Kempe is now one point shy of tying Jim Fox for 11th-most in Kings history. In his NHL career, the slick Swede has posted 478 regular season points (231G, 247A).

— When the Kings last visited the Caps, on Dec. 2, 2025, Kempe scored a goal. He’s also recorded a pair of game-winning goals in his 17 career meetings with the Capitals, including the first goal of his NHL career, a 4-2 victory on March 11, 2017, in Los Angeles.

— If the Kings are to turn things around, they believe they’ve hired the right guy for the job. When Laviolette was behind the LA bench for his 1,600th career regular-season game on Saturday, he became just the eighth coach in NHL history to reach that milestone marker. He’s also the
seventh-winningest coach in NHL history, with 846 regular-season wins.

Kings Projected Lineup

Below is a projected alignment. If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.

Panarin – Laferriere – Kempe
Moore – Byfield- Zuccarello
Armia – Laughton – Haula
Lee – Helenius – Perry

Clarke – Gustafsson
Edmundson – Doughty
Anderson – Dumoulin

Kuemper
Forsberg

Likely scratches: (F) Ward (D) Ceci

Injured Reserve: Fiala, Turcotte

Across the Ice

Washington is coming off a 4-2 victory against New Jersey on Saturday. Here’s how they lined up for that one:

Lineys!

#CapsDevils https://t.co/eHxOn87aCd

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 17, 2026

Noticeably absent were former Kings Matt Roy and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The former is expected to play tonight. Caps coach Spencer Carbery addressed the overall situation here:

Head coach Spencer Carbery speaks to the media about the timelines for Justin Sourdif, Matt Roy and Pierre-Luc Dubois, as well as the value of Washington’s offseason additions.

#ALLCAPS https://t.co/BOUlfZm3D8

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 19, 2026

How to Watch the Game

Puck drop is set for 4:00 pm Pacific Time and the game will be broadcast locally on ABTV — available on DIRECTV (Ch. 692), Spectrum (Ch. 320), Cox (Ch. 64 in Orange County; Ch. 53 in Palos Verdes), and other Southern California cable/satellite providers. It can also be streamed on DAZN.

Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.

Further details on LA’s broadcast and streaming plans for 2026-27 can be found here.

On This Day in Kings History

On October 20, 1999, the @LAKings made their home debut at STAPLES Center. Rob Blake scored the first #LAKings’ goal in their new home, and Jozef Stumpel scored the game-tying goal with 69 seconds remaining in regulation in a 2-2 tie against the Boston Bruins.

#GoKingsGo https://t.co/qfUp20KJHU

— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) October 20, 2026

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

Mayor’s Manor Live Podcast with Darryl Sutter

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With the Kings still searching for their first win as they set out on a five-game road trip, Mayor’s Minutes returned to NHL Network Radio this week to cover all things LA hockey-related. In an all-new segment, John Hoven joined Jake Hahn and Victoria Matiash to share a fresh batch of opinions — on everything from Byfield to Clarke, from Laviolette to Ceci, and several items in between. They even covered the Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors.

This radio segment can be heard using the player below or by downloading any of our audio files for free on the MayorsManor page on Apple Podcasts located here.

5-Year-Old Drew Doughty’s Letter to Wayne Gretzky

In this new Kings-produced video from their “Black & White” series, the story focuses on Doughty’s journey, “From Childhood Dream to LA Kings Captain” — take a look:

Mini-Movie: Doughty’s Journey Back

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Andrew Lord’s Ontario Reign return to Toyota Arena on Saturday night to take on the visiting Henderson Silver Knights. It will be the first of eight meetings between the clubs this season, with five matchups coming before New Year’s Eve.

Heading into tonight, Lord’s squad will be looking to build upon a 3-2 win over Gulls down in San Diego earlier this week. If they can secure another victory in this one, the Reign would hold at least a piece of the Pacific Division lead, continuing their strong start to the season.

Kings prospect Koehn Ziemmer and Jack Hughes both found the back of the net in Wednesday’s win. It was Ziemmer’s second of the young campaign, while Hughes recorded his first goal of 2026-27.

In net, Erik Portillo also delivered a strong performance between the pipes, turning aside 25-of-27 shots to earn second-star honors. The 26-year-old Swede continues to make his case for a potential NHL call-up, as he awaits his next opportunity. In the more immediate term, he’ll give way to Hampton Slukynsky, who will man the crease tonight. It will be his second start of the year, having stopped 25-of-29 shots in Ontario’s only loss.

The organization made a pair of roster moves ahead of Saturday’s matchups featuring the Kings and Reign both playing home games in SoCal. Jared Wright has been returned to the Reign once again, after skating with the Kings in practice the past few days. Meanwhile, Taylor Ward was recalled to the NHL, so he will not be available to Lord tonight. His absence will be noticeable, as the 28-year-old forward has made an early impact with Ontario, recording two goals and three points across four games played.

Per the norm, Lord will shuffle things around up front, with Kings prospect Vojtech Cihar expected to return to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday’s matchup against San Diego.

On the blue line, Henry Brzustewicz will draw back in for future LA-blueliner Jared Woolley, who dropped the gloves in the first fight of his professional career on Wednesday. In addition to the two defensemen continually rotating in and out of the lineup this season, tonight’s move comes somewhat out of necessity, as well. Woolley was apparently injured in the fight, as he only took one shift in the game after serving his fighting penalty. The first-year pro was then absent from practice this week. From the limited information we’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like Woolley will be out too long. However, we’re assuming he’ll miss at least the next few games — including Tuesday’s home game vs. Calgary and next weekend’s two-game set in Texas.

Reign Projected Lineup

Below is our projected lineup. If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.

Hughes – Pederson – Chromiak
Pinelli – Connors – Wright
Cihar – Guttman – Ziemmer
Lawrence – G. Slukynsky – Jamsen

Kirsanov – Perunovich
Booth – Brzustewicz
Hicketts – Millar

H. Slukynsky
George

Likely scratches: (F) Doty, Isogai (D) Woolley and (G) Portillo

Injured: (F) Jenik (D) Dvorak, Salin

How to Watch

Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time and all regular season games will be streamed via FloSports.

Also, a Reign radio feed can be found here.

Follow @mayorNHL

Game day graphic by ALoImages

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

As crazy as this sounds, the Kings have only played five games this season — some NHL clubs are set to play their 10th contest of the 2026-27 campaign. Regardless of the wonky pacing for LA to start the year, sitting at 0-3-2 isn’t sitting well with anybody.

“Listen, everybody’s frustrated,” said head coach Peter Laviolette following the team’s morning skate. “Nobody wants to be in a position where you’re five games in and you don’t have a win in the column yet. So yeah, it’s an important game.”

Thus, it shouldn’t be a total surprise that Laviolette will make several significant lineup changes heading into Saturday night’s game in downtown Los Angeles. With the Kings looking to secure their first win, Alex Laferriere is moving to the top line, with Quinton Byfield shuffling down to the second line and rejoining Trevor Moore.

It’s clear the Kings are short a difference-maker down the middle of the lineup right now, so the hope is that Laferriere helps open up things for both Adrian Kempe and Byfield, who have been slow out of the gates this season.

“It’s important that [Laferriere] brings his own game; he’s a good player,” Laviolette noted, when asked about the need to not defer to linemates when you’re in that position. “I think they only played one game together last year as a line, and I think that game went well for them. But I do think that he’s played that position — I think maybe 20 games last year, so he has played center. So again, just a different look and a different opportunity. Again, it’s about trying to create, trying to find the offense inside of our group, and show a different look for it.”

Perhaps one thing the group also has going for them is the fact that Boston played last night in Anaheim. Can an early-season back-to-back bring some fatigue to a talented Bruins team? That’s at least the hope for a Kings team desperate to find the win column.

“We definitely need results — not just [on special teams], but five-on-five, and as a team, just overall; we need results,” Laviolette reinforced. “I don’t feel like it’s been a lack of practice. I feel like we’ve been practicing more than any team in the league. [There has] been a lot of time between games. We haven’t been able to get enough games in. So as the schedule ramps up here, I think that’ll be good for us.”

Saturday Specials

Tonight marks the first Saturday home game of the season, which also means the Kings will be wearing their crown jerseys. Earlier this week, it was reported the Kings will also take these sweaters on the road for a pair of games next month.

As noted previously, #GoKingsGo will wear their crown jersey at Saturday home games (like last season), but there’s a new twist. They’ll also wear the black crown jersey 2x on the road — 11/19 at Toronto and 11/23 at Montreal.

More Kings jersey related info

— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) October 14, 2026

Of course, we’re also expecting official news in the coming weeks regarding LA’s new purple jersey. Details on that plan, and when they’ll be wearing them, can be found here.

Quoting and Noting

No players were made available at this morning’s pregame skate at TSPC in El Segundo. Laviolette did note that although Taylor Ward was recalled, he will not draw in tonight. No decisions have been made regarding which extra forward will go on the upcoming road trip. This simply gives Jared Wright the opportunity to play instead of sit in the press box tonight.

Additional notes:

— The team is also expected to go with an 11+7 configuration.

— With this being Game 6 and the Kings rotating alternate captains this season, it’s time for Artemi Panarin to wear a letter.

— Mats Zuccarello will travel with the team when they leave LA for an East Coast trip. “Then we’ll see from there,” said Laviolette. “Again, positive signs that he’s not in a red jersey, he’s out there, he’s practicing, that’s all positive stuff.”

Statistically Speaking

— Artemi Panarin has six goals and 15 points in his last 10 games vs. Boston, dating back to Nov. 25, 2023, and 30 points in 31 career games against the Bruins overall.

— Trevor Moore has points in each of his last three games against Boston, dating back to Oct. 12, 2024.

— On this date 58 years ago (Oct. 17, 1968), Ted Irvine and Howie Hughes each scored goals as the Kings earned their first home victory against the Boston Bruins, winning 2-1 at the Forum.

— Head Coach Peter Laviolette will coach his 1,600th career game on Saturday night and is set to become the eighth different head coach in NHL history to reach the 1,600-game mark behind the bench. He also sits three wins shy of tying Ken Hitchcock (849 W) for the sixth-most wins in NHL history.

— Boston has posted a 6-1-3 record against Los Angeles in the last 10 meetings. The Bruins swept the 2025-26 season series against the Kings with a pair of 2-1 overtime victories.

— The Bruins have 17 different goal scorers this season, the most among all NHL teams.

— Boston won 40 of 58 faceoffs on Friday against Anaheim with Elias Lindholm winning 18 of 25 draws (78%). His team-high 91 faceoff wins rank tied for first in the NHL with Sidney Crosby (PIT).

— Boston’s James Hagens is tied with Anton Frondell (CHI) for the NHL lead in rookie scoring with five points. The 19-year-old recorded his first career multi-point game Friday against Anaheim, tallying two assists.

Kings Projected Lineup

Below is a projected alignment. If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.

Panarin – Laferriere – Kempe
Armia – Laughton – Haula
Lee – Helenius – Perry
Moore – Byfield

Clarke – Gustafsson
Edmundson – Doughty
Anderson – Dumoulin
Ceci

Forsberg
Kuemper

Likely scratches: (F) Ward (D) N/A

Injured Reserve: Fiala, Turcotte, Zuccarello

Across the Ice

Boston is coming off a 4-2 victory against Anaheim on Friday. Here’s how they are projected to line up tonight:

Geekie – Zacha – Pastrnak
Khusnutdinov – Minten – Peterka
Mittelstadt – E. Lindholm – Hagens
Jeannot – Poitras – Kastelic

H. Lindholm – McAvoy
Zadorov – Borgen
Brunet – Lohrei

NOTE: Jeremy Swayman is expected to start in net vs. LA

How to Watch the Game

Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm Pacific Time and the game will be broadcast locally on ABTV — available on DIRECTV (Ch. 692), Spectrum (Ch. 320), Cox (Ch. 64 in Orange County; Ch. 53 in Palos Verdes), and other Southern California cable/satellite providers. It can also be streamed on DAZN.

Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.

Further details on LA’s broadcast and streaming plans for 2026-27 can be found here.

On This Day in Kings History

On October 17, 2008, the @LAKings signed Matt Greene to a five-year, $14.75 million contract. In nine seasons with the #LAKings, Greene recorded 67 points, 731 blocked shots, and 1,344 hits in 464 games, and won two Stanley Cup championship rings.

#GoKingsGo https://t.co/qulmHNjXfS

— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) October 17, 2026

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

Kings Of The Podcast, Ep. 230 – LA Prospect Review with Marco Sturm

Follow @mayorNHL

Game day graphic by ALoImages

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

Saturday morning brought more roster moves for the LA Kings. After being sent down and recalled earlier in the week, Jared Wright is once again on his way back to AHL Ontario. Additionally, Taylor Ward was recalled to the Kings and took to the ice earlier today at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo ahead of the matchup vs. the visiting Boston Bruins.

Last season, Ward split time between the AHL and NHL, suiting up for 36 Kings games during the regular season while recording seven points. He also drew into the lineup for one playoff game. Conversely, during his 32-game stint in Ontario, Ward produced 21 points, including 12 goals.

The year prior, Ward made his NHL debut and promptly scored a goal in his only appearance during the 2024-25 campaign. He also became part of the only father-son duo ever to play for the Kings.

Kings Set to Have First Father-Son Player Duo in Team History

Thus far this season, the 28-year-old forward has two goals and three points in four games with the Reign.

Ward had to clear waivers coming out of training camp before he could initially be assigned to Ontario. Now, he will not need waivers again until he plays 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on the Kings roster.

Wright, who is waiver exempt, has been up and down during a busy month of October. He’s played one game with the Kings and three more with the Reign — including this past Wednesday in San Diego.

Both players received extended playing time during the preseason, allowing LA’s new coaching staff to get a long look at what both players have to offer.

UPDATE 10:30am:

Kings going 11+7, Anton Forsberg starting, Taylor Ward not drawing in per Peter Laviolette #GoKingsGo

— Alexander Legget (@LeggetNHL) October 17, 2026

Follow @mayorsmanor

Lead photo by Megan Sanders

Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com

Mayor’s Manor Live returns in podcast form, with Darryl Sutter as our guest. He stops by to talk about his new book — The Code of the West: Lessons from the Ranch and the Rink — which is packed with stories taken from throughout his life. During his interview here, some of the topics covered include:

— Family, including Chris
— Dean Lombardi
— Bob Pulford
— Stanley Cup runs in LA
— The Dustin Brown question
— Drew Doughty’s ascent to Kings captain
— Kyle Clifford’s non-goal
— Word Association
— The Manchester trip (King & Nolan)
— Analytics
— Talks with Mike Richards
— So much more!

Be sure to order the book, in written or audio version, at the link below:

Darryl’s book is out now!

ORDER: https://t.co/vBQQ4sc1mL https://t.co/9mBJSaslkp

— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) October 13, 2026

This interview with Sutter can be heard using the player below or you can download any of our audio files for free on the Mayor’s Manor Apple podcast page located here.