2024 Training Camp Preview – Centers

One more to go, Insiders!

As the LA Kings look towards the start of the 2024-25 season, we’ll take a look, position by position, at the group that will be hitting the ice this season for the NHL club and the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

For today, we finish down the middle, with the center-ice position. The Kings took a huge swing last summer to strengthen at center and that move did not work out as it was hoped. This summer served as a reset, with positions moved around internally in another attempt to improve at center, with a new look coming for the upcoming season.

NHL Contracted Centers, NHL Experience: Quinton Byfield, Phillip Danault, Glenn Gawdin, Anze Kopitar, Jack Studnicka, Akil Thomas
NHL Contracted Centers, No NHL Experience: Samuel Helenius, Kaleb Lawrence, Francesco Pinelli
AHL Contracted Centers: Quinn Olson, Tate Singleton,

Where They’re At
Anze Kopitar is still here and he’s still Anze Kopitar. Phillip Danault is still here and he’s still Phillip Danault. We know who those players are and we have a good understanding of what their roles will be for the upcoming season.

The change for the Kings comes with Quinton Byfield, who will move from wing to center for the upcoming season.

We know who the top three centers will be for the Kings, at least to open camp. We have an idea of who their wingers might be. Look for Kopitar to be flanked by his usual running mate, Adrian Kempe, with Alex Laferriere expected to get the first crack as the third member of that line. For Danault, his usual running mate is Trevor Moore, with that pair potentially joined by Tanner Jeannot on a new-look line. For Byfield, the hope is to surround him with Kevin Fiala and Warren Foegele on a line carrying a lot of speed and skill on paper. It’s not a known quantity, though, as Byfield has played mostly on the wing with Kopitar and Kempe over the last 18 months. Byfield, though, is comfortable in the middle and he’s at a place where the Kings need to see if he can drive a line through the middle. He’ll get that chance this fall.

To start, look for Kopitar to be at the top of the depth chart where he’s always been. Look for the same with Danault. For Byfield, he’s moving back to his natural position down the middle of the ice. It’s the position he played in the OHL when he was drafted and it’s the position he broke into the NHL playing, centering the third line as recently as the start of the 2022-23 season. Armed with a new, five-year contract, Byfield is coming off a breakout season offensively and has the potential to make the Kings deeper at center than they’ve been since they transitioned out of their rebuild. If he can take the next step forward, center should be the team’s deepest position.

Beyond that trio, Akil Thomas should have the chance to replace Blake Lizotte on the fourth line. Lizotte moved on to Pittsburgh over the summer and leaves a void bigger than his stature. The Kings like both Thomas and Alex Turcotte, who was listed in the winger section of these previews, though both could see time at center. Thomas has just seven career NHL games but he did make an impression in that time. He’s an unknown as a regular, NHL player but the upside is there to bolster the offensive output lower in the lineup and he’s a reliable and physical player from his time in the AHL.

The Kings also added two veterans over the summer who could potentially factor into the NHL picture. Jack Studnicka has more than 100 NHL games, while Glenn Gawdin is a long-time AHL veteran who has produced in a top-six role at that level. Should there be an injury during camp, or should performance change the picture, both would be capable of stepping up, with Studnicka specifically being a player to watch as a potentially roster spot snatcher, considering his NHL body of work.

With at least one of those players expected to be a top-six forward in the AHL, there is also a big opportunity for Francesco Pinelli to establish himself with the Ontario Reign. Pinelli had an adjustment period early, moving from a top scorer in the OHL to more of a role player in the AHL. It started to click for him in the second half of last season, but there were players in front of him. He should have the chance to cement himself higher in the lineup with a strong camp.

Looking at the remainder of the players coming to camp, Samuel Helenius profiles more as a bottom-six center in the NHL but he’s taken some massive steps, with a massive frame, in the AHL. His second half of the 2023-24 season especially was a big stride forward. He was the team’s third-line center in the playoffs and had a strong run to the third round with Ontario. Entering the mix is another big body in Kaleb Lawrence, who joins from the OHL’s London Knights to begin his professional career. Raw, yet lots to work with. Rounding out the group are Tate Singleton and Quinn Olson on AHL contracts.

What To Look For
I think with the centers, the storyline that most merits looking out for is icetime distribution between the top three.

In the past, the Kings have used more of a clear 1-2-3 approach to ice time distribution. Having Byfield, with where he’s at as a player, could change that approach. With Kopitar, Danault and Byfield, there’s not a third-line center in that group, nor is there a player who should be playing third-line minutes. The Kings could get creative at times, moving a center to the wing for select shifts, but the likely reality is that we won’t see the same distribution every night. If Kopitar’s line is going, they’ll play more. The same should be said for Danault and Byfield. I think we’ll see more of a 2-2-2 than a 1-2-3, if that makes sense.

Behind those guys, Akil Thomas is in a good position to be an everyday roster player for the Kings this season. The Kings believe Thomas will be an everyday player this season and my gut says he’ll be in the middle, at least to start. Easy to see a swap with Alex Turcotte, though. Consider it a coin flip. Depending on performance and situation, you could see either player moved up in the lineup as well. With Thomas, he has just seven NHL games to his name but he did make an impact last last season, scoring three times. I do like his upside this season but he’s definitely an unknown at this point in time. He will be given every opportunity to win that job during training camp and we’ll see what he’s able to make of it.

Regarding the rest of the centers in training camp, as mentioned, Studnicka is a guy to keep an eye on as a potential depth player. He’s played NHL games with San Jose, Vancouver and Boston and is certainly comfortable playing at the NHL level. Gawdin has 13 NHL games and has two seasons of 50+ points at the NHL level. Both guys are depth signings for the organization and are ones to at least keep an eye on during training camp. For Helenius, he’s a depth player to look out for who should have a clear indication of what his role on the Reign will be. He’s not there yet, but he’s getting closer.

With the rest of the group, there is opportunity. Pinelli and Lawrence will get their first opportunities this season at the 2024 Rookie Faceoff. For Pinelli in particular, you want to see him take the game over against younger players. He should play higher in the lineup and it’s a good chance for him to begin camp on a high note with some momentum. For Lawrence, it’s his first professional season and he showed some good signs at development camp over the summer. He might be the biggest guy at the Rookie Faceoff. Interested to see how he handles himself in that setting, heading into main camp.

Looking Ahead
That’s a wrap on the camp previews! Coming tomorrow, we’ll roll right into the Rookie Faceoff with some thoughts from Head Coach Marco Sturm, who joined us for a 30-minute interview earlier today. Some good insights for what he’s expecting from players and the team as a whole, which I’ll share here tomorrow!