Ken Holland didn’t sugarcoat it. LA’s General Manager opened his end-of-season press conference on Friday afternoon with a blunt assessment: “I’m not happy. I know Luc Robitaille is not happy. Our players aren’t happy. It was a disappointing season.”
He rattled off the numbers — 29th in the league in goals scored, 28th on the power play, 30th on the penalty kill, under .500 at home, and swept by the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche. Then he spent the next 35 minutes dissecting nearly everything about the Kings.
Here’s what stood out.
1. Quinton Byfield’s Team Now
Holland spoke plainly: “It’s going to be QB’s team now up front… when the arm goes up on the power play, I would expect he’s going to be on the first unit… it’s going to be his team now.”
Earlier this week, the captaincy question was directed at Mikey Anderson, Adrian Kempe, and Drew Doughty during exit interviews. Anderson and Kempe deflected to the leadership of the group as a whole. Doughty said it would mean the world to him. Nobody asked Byfield. But Holland may have answered it anyway.
DJ Smith previously referred to some of the young players as “Q’s group,” crediting Byfield’s energy as a driving force in the room. Doughty called him the best player on the team since Smith took over. And now Holland is publicly calling this his team.
Is it a genuine declaration or posturing to raise Byfield’s trade value? Potentially a bit of both. Holland has been doing this long enough to know how his words can affect the trade market and mood inside his team’s locker room. But when the GM, the interim coach, and the longest-tenured defenseman all independently point to the same 23-year-old as the centerpiece, that’s likely more than just lip service.
The captaincy hasn’t been discussed publicly by the front office. But perhaps a dark horse candidate beyond the three other three players is quietly emerging — Byfield’s name could be in the conversation.
2. Holland Expects More
Without naming names, LA’s GM made clear that some players underperformed and that he told them so directly.
“I think there’s some people in that room that didn’t play as well this year as I know they can, or as they have,” Holland shared. “I have had those conversations with a few of them. The ones that didn’t have heard from me and know what my expectations are heading into next year.”
He was also asked whether he regrets any of the decisions he’s made — the timing of the coaching change, the roster construction, or the trades. His answer was firm: “I don’t really regret any decisions I’ve ever made as a manager. You take the information at the time, you make your decisions, and then you don’t look back.”
It’s a debatable position, especially given the regression from 105 points to 90 and a first-round sweep. Yet there’s something to be said for a GM who commits to his plan rather than second-guessing himself into a different one every quarter. Whether that plan is the right one is the question this offseason could answer.
3. The Coaching Search
Holland revealed that Smith will be a candidate for the permanent job and backed it up with numbers.
“He coached 23 games. He was 11-6-6 under his watch, that’s a .609 winning percentage,” Holland noted. “Over 82 games, there were only eight teams in the league better than .609. He did a great job.”
But Smith certainly won’t be the only name discussed. Holland said he plans to interview five to eight candidates, “some with experience, some maybe assistants, maybe one or two guys that haven’t been head coaches.” We noted several other potential candidates in our article here.
On the assistant coaching staff, Holland said the next head coach will have a say in whether assistants Newell Brown and Matt Greene return. He spoke positively about Greene’s first stint behind the bench, noting that the players felt he did a great job despite it being his first time in the role. Greene’s background in player development gave him a familiarity with the roster that helped the transition. That all tracks with what Anderson said in his exit interview: “I thought he was awesome. He brings so much intensity. If he wants to do this, he could do it for a long time.” Doughty also said something similar: “Greene did a great job back there. I think all the defensemen love him.”
Regardless of Greene’s strong performance, it’s clear the new coach will have the final say on the composition of the staff.
4. Likely Keeping 2026 First-Round Pick
Holland was asked whether the Kings would consider moving their first-round pick for immediate help. His answer was nearly absolute.
“My plan right now is to keep the 17th pick in the Draft,” Holland responded. “If something presents itself that I think long-term is good for the franchise, I’d be open to moving it. But I’m not going to move it just to try to throw a band-aid at the team to try to be good for one more year.”
The Kings recent draft history suggests a clear philosophy on what they’re looking for with premium picks: size, skill, and offensive upside. Liam Greentree, selected two years ago, and Henry Brzustewicz, selected last year, both fit that mold. Expect more of the same if the pick stays.
Holland also pointed to the draft capital he accumulated at the deadline — picks from the Danault, Perry, and Foegele trades — as evidence that he’s trying to balance competitiveness with pipeline building. “We need youth, so I’m trying to be competitive on this side.”
5. Several Injury Updates
Holland ran through the full injury list and gave meaningful updates.
Kevin Fiala, who missed the final stretch of the season after an Olympic injury, was closer to returning than previously known: “If we were able to advance, he might have been back in Round 2. Round 3, for sure.”
Andrei Kuzmenko had knee surgery during the Olympic break to repair a meniscus tear, and his Game 3 appearance against Colorado was essentially a cold start against the best team in hockey. “Hard to put a guy into the middle of a series against the Presidents’ Trophy champions and expect him to step in,” Holland acknowledged. He finished up that comment by noting that Kuzmenko is now fully healthy.
LA’s GM also mentioned that Joel Armia suffered a hairline back fracture at the Olympics and that Alex Turcotte had a core muscle injury that kept him out most of the final run. Byfield, as he revealed in his own exit interview, played through torn obliques on both sides for the final two months and Holland praised him for it: “I thought he played his best hockey of the year after that, so good on QB for digging in and helping us get in.”
6. Contracts: Clarke and Doughty
The Kings have several contract situations to sort out this summer, and the exit interviews and Holland’s presser gave us a read on where each one stands.
Holland confirmed that contract talks with Brandt Clarke’s agent began around the Olympic break but were shelved heading into the playoff push. The reason was somewhat surprising, and another classic anecdote. Holland referenced the Mike Vernon contract situation in Detroit from 1995, when negotiations during a playoff push became a distraction [they lost in the Stanley Cup Final], and implied the experience made him superstitious about doing contract business once the games start to matter.
On Doughty, Holland acknowledged he’s aware of what his star defenseman recently said publicly — regarding wanting to stay in LA, wanting to finish his career here, and would be honored to be captain — but stopped short of committing to anything.
“I need to sit down and talk with him; I have to figure all that out,” Holland said. “For this summer, I’m committed as a General Manager to try to make the team better. I can’t tell you what the future brings.”
While the extension conversation hasn’t started yet, Holland is scheduled to meet with Doughty next week to discuss where things stand overall following the team’s latest postseason loss.
Meanwhile, Clarke’s extension is expected to be a priority. How and when Doughty’s contract negotiations go down remains to be seen.
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