Artemi Panarin left the New York Rangers midway through the 2025-26 NHL season, but his Blueshirts past may be following him to the Los Angeles Kings. With Peter Laviolette testing the coaching carousel once again, a report indicates the Kings have already shown interest in the former head coach in the Big Apple.
“The Kings have held preliminary discussions with Peter Laviolette regarding their head coaching position,” as reported by Russell Morgan and Pierre LeBrun on X.
Once again, the Kings find themselves testing waters near the Edmonton Oilers. In addition to Los Angeles reaching out to him, former Rangers head coach Laviolette could make his NHL return with the Oilers, who are reportedly rating him highly. Laviolette may be reaching a fork in the road.
To be a King or an Oiler: that is the question
As things stand, the Kings and Oilers appear to be the frontrunners for Peter Laviolette. In the coming days, other potential suitors may emerge while others fade from the picture. With Bruce Cassidy possibly headed for a year away from coaching in the NHL—much like the one Laviolette is now coming off—the former Rangers bench boss has become one of the most intriguing names on the market.
Peter Laviolette could return to the NHL after his stint with NY Rangers.
For Laviolette, choosing between Los Angeles and Edmonton presents quite the dilemma. In the City of Angels, he’d reunite with Artemi Panarin, who totaled 209 points—including a career-best 120-point campaign in 2023-24—during the two seasons Laviolette spent in Manhattan. He could also reconnect with goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who served as the Washington Capitals starter in 2022-23, the last season Laviolette spent in The District.
Taking the job in Edmonton, meanwhile, would offer Laviolette the opportunity to coach the best player in hockey, Connor McDavid, while helping one of the league’s most historic franchises avoid slipping into dormancy. After navigating the New York market through soaring highs and difficult lows alike, Laviolette may be uniquely equipped to handle a hockey market as desperate for success as the one in the Gateway to the North.
Laviolette’s past is mainly in the East
Both opportunities present new challenges and uncharted territory in his coaching career. In fact, he’s been head coach for six different organizations, but only one in the Western Conference: the Nashville Predators—which, located in Music City, are not exactly Western. Nashville is in the Central Time Zone and sits east of the banks of the Mississippi River.
It is clear Laviolette (born in Massachusetts) is an Eastern creature. Joining the Kings or Oilers would mean he would settle on the West Coast for the first time in his career. In Edmonton, he would take over a Canadian franchise for the first time, too.
However, the Kings were quicker to knock on his door. If it really comes down to first come, first served, Los Angeles—who has Panarin as an ace up its sleeve—may run away with one of the top candidates on the carousel.
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