- David Pagnotta says Patrik Laine could have interest in the Kings this summer
- Los Angeles tried to trade for him before the deadline and a cheap, bonus-laden deal still fits both sides
- Read below for why the Kings keep circling the former 40-goal scorer
Patrik Laine to Los Angeles keeps coming up, and now there is a report behind it.
The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta wrote Thursday that Laine could have interest in signing with the Kings once he reaches free agency. Los Angeles tried to trade for him before the deadline, and Pagnotta thinks the fit still holds.
Here is how Pagnotta framed it:
“Could Patrik Laine take his game to Los Angeles? I believe that’s a spot he’d have interest in, and the Kings were in talks to acquire him from Montreal ahead of the deadline. Picking him up on a low-AAV, bonus-laden deal could work for both parties,” Pagnotta wrote.
The Kings have a real hole to fill. Anze Kopitar retired after 19 seasons in Los Angeles, and the team finished near the bottom of the league in goals. They’ve spent the offseason sorting out their captaincy, and they still need someone who can score.
Laine can do that when he’s upright. The second overall pick from 2016 put up 44 goals in 2017-18 and led the NHL in power-play goals that season. A Kings group that ranked 28th on the man advantage could use that kind of trigger.
The shot has never been the question:
Health is. Laine has played roughly 30 percent of possible games over the last three years, and he managed 20 goals in 55 games for Montreal in 2024-25 while banged up. That’s the logic behind a bonus-laden contract. Low base, money tied to games and goals.
If Laine wants a reset and the Kings want cheap scoring, the pieces line up. Free agency opens July 1.
