Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
As we do each year, PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2026-27 season, though in a slightly different format than before. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Pacific Division, next up are the Kings.
2026-27
Upper Limit: $104MM
Current Cap Charge: $102.225MM
Cap Space: $1,775MM
Potential Bonuses: $6MM (at least $5MM likely to be reached)
Dead Cap: $600K (salary cap recapture for Mike Richards)
Expiring Contracts (RFA): F Alex Turcotte ($850K)
Turcotte took a step back last season after playing his way into more of a full-time role in 2024-25. Still, he’s a young center and their values continue to spike. If he remains a fourth-line regular this season, his price tag could approach the $2.75MM to $3MM mark. However, at that price, it’s fair to wonder if the Kings will tender a contract or look to fill that spot with someone cheaper.
Expiring Contracts (UFA): F Joel Armia ($2.5MM), D Drew Doughty ($11MM), G Anton Forsberg ($2.25MM), D Erik Gustafsson ($1MM), G Darcy Kuemper ($5.25MM), F Corey Perry ($1MM + $500K in playoff bonuses), F Mats Zuccarello ($1MM + $5.5MM in GP and playoff bonuses)
Zuccarello comes over from Minnesota where he was a top-line staple for several years. $5MM of his bonuses will be hit in his tenth game, creating a certain bonus carryover; the rest are tied to victories in the first two playoff rounds ($250K each). If he remains a 50-60-point player with his new team, there’s no reason to think he can’t get a similar deal a year from now at 40 if he wants one.
Perry returns after being moved at the trade deadline with a much smaller guarantee plus the same playoff bonuses as Zuccarello. He’ll be 42 in May so this could be the end of the road for him. Otherwise, this is more the price range he’s going to need to be in moving forward, not the $4MM AAV (with bonuses) he had a year ago. Armia had a decent first season with the Kings and while he doesn’t fit the profile of a physical bottom-six piece (the ones that saw their market improve considerably this summer), a small raise could still be doable, potentially on another two-year pact.
Doughty, for a time, was the top-paid blueliner in the league. The new captain has seen his production fall off sharply the last couple of years and he’ll turn 37 in December. The reduced output might make it harder to point to John Carlson’s deal this summer (two years, $8.5MM AAV) as a potential comparable. Something a little lower than that on a two or three-year pact feels like where this could land. Gustafsson was thought to be eyeing options back home but instead inked this deal early in free agency with an eye on bringing more firepower to the back end. Given his up-and-down track record, it’s hard to see him commanding much more than this unless he can find a way to secure a top-four role which is unlikely.
Kuemper had a great 2024-25 season but that was sandwiched by two poor ones. He’ll be 37 when this contract ends and at that point, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll be starting at that time. He could still secure two years on his next contract but if he’s more of a platoon option, the price tag might be closer to $4MM. Forsberg had a solid first year with the Kings but he’s still typically viewed as more of a backup option. If that continues, he’s probably looking at something around the $3.5MM to $4MM mark as well.
2027-28
Projected Upper Limit: $113.5MM
Current Cap Charge: $77.375MM (15 players signed)
Cap Space: $36.125MM
Potential Bonuses: None
Dead Cap: $600K (Richards recapture), likely to be significantly higher with the bonus carryover penalty arising from Zuccarello reaching his GP bonuses this season
On the surface, GM Ken Holland has some wiggle room although with Zuccarello and Doughty, those core pieces will need to be re-signed or replaced, taking a big chunk out of what’s left. Securing a starting goalie will take another notable part of their cap room which might not leave too much left.
Expiring Contracts (RFA): F Samuel Helenius ($875K), F Alex Laferriere ($4.1MM)
Laferriere put up his second straight season of at least 40 points in 2025-26 and will be a year from UFA eligibility at the end of the year with arbitration rights. A similar showing this season could allow him to push for a couple million more than his $4.4MM qualifying offer given some of the contracts that secondary scorers have signed recently. Helenius has had a very limited role thus far in his career but brings the size and physicality that teams are always coveting while being a center as well. Even if he just holds that role, another couple of years of experience and arbitration rights should push him past the $2MM mark on his next deal. Like Turcotte earlier, their cap situation might dictate if that’s too expensive for that role.
Expiring Contracts (UFA): D Brian Dumoulin ($4MM), D Joel Edmundson ($3.85MM), F Erik Haula ($3.6MM), F Trevor Moore ($4.2MM), F Artemi Panarin ($11MM), Taylor Ward ($875K)
It’s well known that Panarin had bigger offers on the table when he was being traded from the Rangers and, considering where the market is now, they might have been even higher in July. Still, this is still a big price tag but Panarin is still a prominent scorer, coming off his ninth straight year of averaging more than a point per game. The overall output is starting to dip but he’s still a legitimate top-line piece and should be for these two seasons. If he’s still over a point per game when his contract is up, a higher salary could very well be doable at 36. Otherwise, he could plausibly secure another multi-year pact at a little lower than this. Either way, he might still have another big pay day coming.
Moore’s output has dipped the last two years after a breakout 57-point showing in 2023-24. If he can get back to the 40-point range, a jump toward the $6.5MM range could be doable. If he remains in the 30s, the offers may land more in the $5.5MM territory. Haula was signed away from Nashville this summer with this deal as a 35-year-old. It’s hard to see a big jump coming at 37 given his track record but if he inks a one-year deal with incentives, then he could secure a total possible value around this price point. Ward saw regular action for the first time last season and will simply be looking to secure a full-time job over the next couple of years. If he succeeds, a small increase toward the $1.5MM mark might be doable.
Dumoulin’s contract came in pricier than expected last summer for someone who is trending toward being a fourth or fifth option ideally. He held his own in that role but it’s hard to see him beating this price tag at 37 two years from now unless his playing time is pushing back toward the 20-minute mark that it was when he was in Pittsburgh. Edmundson also received more than expected on this deal given his role and injury history. He’s still holding his own as a fourth defender, however, and he’ll only be 35 when he hits the open market. It’s not implausible to think he could secure a small raise or a multi-year pact at least close to this price tag.
2028-29
Forecasted Upper Limit: $123MM
Current Cap Charge: $44.875MM (7 players signed)
Cap Space: $78.125MM
Potential Bonuses: None
Dead Cap: $600K (Richards recapture)
Panarin is undoubtedly a big-ticket contract that they will have to deal with. However, while some others will be heading for raises as well, some of their expiring contracts should help cover those increases, allowing for some room to try to add to the core.
Expiring Contracts (RFA): None
Expiring Contracts (UFA): F Quinton Byfield ($6.25MM), D Cody Ceci ($4.5MM), F Kevin Fiala ($7.875MM), Scott Laughton ($3.5MM)
Fiala is going to be another big-ticket contract for Holland to contend with. While his output has dipped a bit the last couple of years (injuries were a big reason in 2025-26), he’s still a quality top-line winger. He’ll be heading into his age-33 year at this time, meaning he should still be able to secure a long-term deal (a maximum of seven years if he re-signs, six if he signs elsewhere). If he’s still a top-liner at that time, he should easily be able to reach double digits in terms of his next AAV.
Byfield could be eyeing a hefty raise himself at that time. He hasn’t been able to live up to his draft billing (second overall in 2020) just yet but he has ranged between 49 and 55 points over the last three seasons. Given that he’s just 24, they’re expecting some improvement to come. And if it does, he’ll be eligible to hit the open market in the prime of his career at a premium position (center). Doubling this price tag is a real possibility. Laughton signed this contract this summer and it was one of the more reasonable ones handed out. This runs through his age-35 year and while he might be more of a fourth liner by then, one with his experience and intangibles could still command something in this range.
Ceci’s contract seemed like an overpayment in both term and money last summer and then he went and had a quiet year by his standards. Ideally, he’s a bottom-pairing player at this point of his career and if he’s in that spot when he’s 35 at the end of this contract, he will probably head for at least a small cut in salary.Read more
