Despite the retirement of franchise icon Anze Kopitar earlier this year, the Los Angeles Kings have not been deterred in their efforts to ice a playoff team for the 2026-27 season. The club was relatively active in free agency, signing deals with veterans such as Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, Erik Gustafsson, Corey Perry, and Scott Laughton. But while the Kings’ hockey operations department, led by a pair of Hockey Hall of Fame inductees in Luc Robitaille and Ken Holland, have doubled down on their commitment to fielding a competitive team, it appears their chosen direction diverges from the wishes of a substantial portion of the team’s fan base. Eric Stephens of The Athletic surveyed over 850 individuals identifying as Kings fans, and when asked about the team’s overall competitive direction, 69 percent of survey respondents indicated they would like to see the team rebuild, compared to 31 percent who selected “try to win now.”

The fact that the Kings’ chosen competitive direction appears to diverge from the preferred direction of a portion of their fan base is notable, as it could inform the level of pressure the team’s leading decision-makers face as they chart the team’s near-term future. From 2018-19 through 2021-22, the Kings were among the NHL’s worst teams, rebuilding their roster after winning two Stanley Cups in the early 2010s. But while Los Angeles did improve considerably as a result of their three-year rebuild, going from a 30th-place finish in 2018-19 to a sixth place finish in 2024-25, postseason success has eluded them. Los Angeles has lost in the first round of the playoffs in each year for the last half-decade, including four consecutive series losses to the Edmonton Oilers. While the Kings’ front office appears committed to icing a playoff team for a sixth straight season in 2026-27, they could be facing increased scrutiny from a fanbase eyeing alternative paths to contention.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

• Although the additions of core players such as Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Juraj Slafkovsky have rightfully received the lion’s share of credit for the Montreal Canadiens’ rapid rise from rebuilder to conference finalist, an underrated factor contributing to the team’s rise has been the additions made to the team’s behind-the-scenes staff. Montreal’s hockey operations department has undergone considerable change since Jeff Gorton took over from longtime GM Marc Bergevin, and one of the most substantial moves he made was bringing veteran athletic trainer Jim Ramsay to Montreal. Arpon Basu of The Athletic wrote today that Ramsay’s work in Montreal has helped lead to notably improved outcomes related to player injury recovery and prevention. According to Basu, “Ramsay strongly discouraged players from playing through injuries,” and has given players recovery timelines on injuries that “were almost always accurate.” Basu credits this change in approach with contributing to the noticeable improvements in the health of the Canadiens’ roster compared to the most difficult years of their rebuild.
• Despite being three seasons removed from his last NHL appearance, and two seasons removed from his last AHL appearance, veteran goaltender Keith Kinkaid isn’t hanging up his skates. Instead, the 37-year-old netminder has elected to continue his playing career with the Saint John Flames, who play in the Ligue de Hockey Senior Beausejour, a senior league comprised of seven teams in Canada. Last year, Kinkaid indicated he was seeking another opportunity in professional hockey, but a successful stint in the 3ICE league did not result in a full-time pro contract. He spent 2025-26 with the Deer Lake Red Wings of the CWSHL, another senior league in the Maritimes. Kinkaid’s last appearance in affiliated hockey came in 2024-25, when he went 10-18-3 in 32 games for the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates, posting an .893 save percentage along the way.