The Los Angeles Kings hired Peter Laviolette to change the direction of their NHL offense, with general manager Ken Holland saying Wednesday in El Segundo, California, that the move is aimed at increasing scoring without abandoning defensive responsibility.
Kings Want More Offense Under Laviolette
Holland framed Laviolette's arrival as a direct response to a familiar Kings problem. Los Angeles has won two Stanley Cups since 2012, but it has not won a postseason series since that title era and has finished with a top-12 scoring offense only twice in that span.
Laviolette, 61, brings a long NHL coaching record that includes stops with the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. In his two seasons with the Rangers, New York finished seventh and 12th in goals per game before Laviolette was fired in April 2025.
Panarin Reunion Gives Los Angeles A Starting Point
The Kings already have one major offensive connection for Laviolette. Artemi Panarin, who set career highs in goals and points under Laviolette with the Rangers in 2023-24, was traded to Los Angeles in February and had nine goals and 18 assists in 26 regular-season games for the Kings.
Laviolette also has history with Kevin Fiala from their time together in Nashville. That familiarity matters because Los Angeles is trying to move away from a style that became too easy to describe: structured, responsible and not dangerous enough for long enough.
Kings Blue Line Faces Scoring Question
The bigger issue may be on defense. ESPN reported that Kings defensemen combined for 23 goals and 110 assists in the regular season, then produced only one goal and one assist in the first-round playoff loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Holland suggested the blue line could still change after conversations with other general managers at the scouting combine. If trades do not come, Laviolette said the existing group will be expected to work within one offensive plan rather than being split into separate categories for attacking and defensive defensemen.
Jim Hiller was fired as Los Angeles coach on March 1, and interim coach D.J. Smith helped the Kings reach the playoffs for a fifth straight season before Colorado swept them. Laviolette has reached the Stanley Cup Final with Carolina, Philadelphia and Nashville, winning it with Carolina in 2006. The Kings are not asking for a slogan here. They are hiring a coach whose first job is measurable: make Los Angeles harder to defend.