Kings Updates – Latest on Laferriere, Burroughs, Perry, Callups + Opening-Night Roster Confirmed

Opening Night Eve!

The LA Kings get underway tomorrow evening against the Colorado Avalanche to begin the 2025-26 regular season. For today, sharing updates on where the roster stands just over 24 hours out from the home opener.

Alex Laferriere
Laferriere is a question mark for Opening Night on Tuesday but had a very positive update today.

Laferriere practiced in full today, which is a good sign.

Jim Hiller said he is “optimistic” about his availability for Opening Night tomorrow. https://t.co/za5pOgyFdc

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) October 6, 2025

For background, Laferriere left the penultimate preseason game on Thursday in Utah briefly with an undisclosed injury but returned to finish the game. Sounds like coming out of that game, he came back in at less than 100 percent and he was held out of Saturday’s preseason finale against Anaheim. Jim Hiller said after the Ducks game that Laferriere was “not a guarantee” for Opening Night as a result of that and that he is “just not 100 percent”. He didn’t rule anything out, though and it’s good that he didn’t.

Laferriere practiced in full with the Kings today and Hiller said he is “optimistic” about Laferriere’s availability for Game 1. During today’s skate, Laferriere practiced with his usual linemates – Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala – and skated with PP2. Good signs towards his ability to go tomorrow evening.

Kyle Burroughs
The Kings made a roster move yesterday afternoon, placing Burroughs on Injured Reserve.

In some ways this is procedural. It didn’t have to be done and since Burroughs was injured on Tuesday, September 30 in Idaho, his stint on IR could be dated retroactively to then, meaning he could really come off as soon as Wednesday. Burroughs blocked a shot in that game and has an upper-body injury. Hiller indicated that testing was “negative”, which indicates it’s not all that serious, and Burroughs has been on the ice each day, skating separately from the team, including today. In all likelihood, Burroughs was unlikely to play tomorrow against Colorado anyways but he was set to make the team after he took his opportunity during training camp and exhibition games. Will see how things trend, but don’t expect to see Burroughs in the Opening Night lineup. Hiller added today that he’ll be out for “a little bit” so I do not expect him available for these first couple games.

Who Is Next?
Actually, I don’t think it’s going to be anyone.

The Kings play back-to-back games to begin the season before two days off. With tomorrow’s game at home against Colorado, the Kings do not need to replace Burroughs on the active roster, nor do they need to recall a forward for that game if Laferriere can’t go. The Kings have 12 healthy forwards not counting Laferriere and Samuel Helenius would be in line to play if Laferriere can’t go. He featured in 50 regular-season games in 2024-25 and all six playoff games. The Kings have Jacob Moverare as an extra on the blueline and in an absolutely dire situation, we all know the Kings could go with 11F and 7D without any issue, having done so at length last season, but I think there could be a recall before that point, if in some way it was needed.

There are two potential recall moments to look out for, if needed. First would be between Games 1 and 2. The Kings play back-to-back to begin the season so it’s possible they’d like an extra forward on the plane to Vegas, if Laferriere is not ready to go, which there seems to be a good chance he will be. Still, if everyone is healthy, they could delay the recall another couple of days. Thursday is a team day off and then Friday would be the next day to look out for. The Kings fly to Winnipeg after practice on Friday to begin a two-game trip that also includes a stop in Minnesota. That’s a bit further than a one-off in Vegas. Should both Laferriere and Burroughs not be ready still by that point, I could see a move before that trip, which is a true away trip. Looking at guys like Andre Lee and Akil Thomas as top options should a player be needed in that situation.

The benefit to not recalling players now is simple – salary-cap space. Per Puck Pedia, the Kings are currently $1,893,333 under the cap, including Burroughs and Laferriere, as well as forward Corey Perry. Placing Burroughs on IR does not open up cap space, but it does open a roster spot. If the Kings recall players now, it eats into that space and means less cap space that would be banked for the trade deadline. In keeping the roster lean and mean, even for just a day, it could mean slightly more flexibility at the Trade Deadline. Every advantage in that department counts. With that in mind, I wouldn’t expect the Kings to rush a recall that is not absolutely needed. If it is, there is ample space to bring a player up as needed.

So, what About Corey Perry?
The last member of the offseason class of 2025 is Corey Perry. Perry suffered a knee injury during a summer captain’s skate and missed all of training camp after successful knee surgery, with a 6-8 week timeline to return to play from mid-September.

Perry’s rehab has not had any setbacks, per Jim Hiller, who noted that “everything has gone well so far.” Perry got back on the ice today for the first time, as Hiller noted after practice, but he’s not there yet with the main group and likely won’t be for a bit. The Kings plan to bring Perry to Vegas for Game 2, just to get him integrated in a road setting. He’s progressing positively but keep in mind we’re not even four weeks into the initial timeline. Look for a firmer update later this month, but here’s what Hiller had to say on Perry’s status –

“He’s a ways off, but we had him in for a meeting the other day, just to go through some of the stuff we’ve been talking about for training camp,” Hiller said. “He’s not close enough yet where we’re really digging in, but he’s in there, he’s around the guys and our intention is to bring him to Vegas, just to make the first road trip and do that stuff with the team.”

Opening Night Lineup
I think we saw the Game 1 lineup on the ice today at practice.

Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Malott – Turcotte – Armia
Helenius

Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Moverare

Kuemper / Forsberg

UPDATE – The roster above is confirmed as the Opening Night roster, consisting of 22 players.

As expected, the @LAKings will begin the season with 2⃣2⃣ players on their Opening Night Roster! pic.twitter.com/R5zivlhjDD

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) October 7, 2025

The only change above from Saturday’s preseason game against the Ducks has Laferriere back in with Byfield/Fiala, with Joel Armia moving back down to the fourth line. That’s Laferriere’s spot when he’s ready to go but if he isn’t for Game 1, Armia showed well in his first look there against the Ducks. I felt he was among the top 2-3 forwards on the Kings in that game and Jim Hiller agreed. Turcotte could also be an option there if Laferriere can’t go, meaning a fourth line of Malott – Helenius – Armia, which could be a big, heavy and hard to play against fourth line. With Turcotte there, it adds speed and tenacity, with Turcotte a strong puck transporter. Lots of options. The preference, though, would be to have Laferriere in, with Turcotte and Armia playing together.

I am expecting the Kings to announce their Opening Night roster later on today and as of right now, I’d expect it to have 22 players on the roster. Two goaltenders, seven defensemen and 13 forwards. Burroughs and Perry on IR, along with potentially Angus Booth on season-opening injured reserve. Things could change and depending on where the roster as a whole is at, if the Kings were to recall a forward I would not be shocked. But for Game 1, I’m not sure that will be the case.

A look ahead to the start of the season coming up later on tonight, as the Kings prepare to host Colorado tomorrow evening with more lineup consistency than they’ve had in past seasons.