Kings open preseason against Golden Knights with young roster in Ontario
The Los Angeles Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights at the Ontario Reign arena for the first of four preseason games, featuring a mix of veterans and prospects as coaches evaluate roster candidates.
Los Angeles will begin its 2026 NHL preseason on Saturday evening at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, facing the Vegas Golden Knights. Both clubs are using the game to assess younger players and evaluate special-team units ahead of the regular season.
The Kings have assembled a roster that leans heavily toward prospects and players on the bubble for an opening-night spot. Forwards expected to dress include Martin Chromiak, Vojtech Cihar, Kenny Connors, Cole Guttman, Scott Laughton, Andre Lee, Trevor Moore, Lane Pederson, Francesco Pinelli, Taylor Ward, Jared Wright and Koehn Ziemmer. Defensemen are Angus Booth, Henry Brzustewicz, Erik Gustafsson, Joe Hicketts, Scott Perunovich and Jared Woolley, while Anton Forsberg and rookie goaltender Hampton Slukynsky will share net duties.
Laughton and Moore, the two veterans in the forward group, are slated to lead the line with Ward and are expected to receive significant ice time. Forsberg is slated to start in goal, with the possibility of a split appearance for Slukynsky. The coaching staff, led by Peter Laviolette, emphasized the importance of the games for shaping power-play combinations and gauging player readiness.
"These preseason games are going to be really, really important for Peter," General Manager Ken Holland said.
"There is opportunity for them to show what they can do and that’s why we set up camp this way," Laviolette added.
Golden Knights coach Danny Webster is expected to start veteran goaltender Adin Hill, with forwards Braeden Bowman and Alexander Holtz among the players likely to see the ice.
The matchup also marks a return to the Ontario venue for several players who have spent time with the AHL’s Reign, including forward Taylor Ward, who expressed enthusiasm about playing in front of a familiar crowd.
Both teams will use the remainder of the four-game preseason schedule to finalize lineups, with the Kings planning to feature their top offensive players in the later games at Crypto.com Arena.