Beginning the annual Seasons in Review series today with those players who split their time between the NHL and AHL this past season.
In total, the Kings had six players who played games with both clubs, in varying degrees. Four of the individuals below spent the bulk of their seasons in the AHL, outside of a short cup of coffee with the NHL club, while the other two played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and were lineup regulars at different times in the NHL season.
A few to look out for going forward, certainly, with depth roles on the Kings up for grabs entering next season.
Angus Booth
NHL Statline – 1 game played, 1 goal, 0 assists, +1 rating
AHL Statline – 61 games played, 1 goal, 17 assists, +12 rating
Could you have scripted a better NHL debut than Angus Booth’s?
With several NHL regulars out of action, Booth suited up in a triple-debut, alongside Kenny Connors and Jared Wright, and played his first career NHL game on March 2 versus Colorado. With the Kings trailing 2-1, Booth activated from the point and buried his first career NHL goal in the second period to tie the game at two. Though the Kings eventually lost, it was a storybook kind of day for Booth, who has developed through the system and finished his campaign as one of the top guys on the backend with Ontario.
Booth isn’t necessarily a point-producer, as his 61 games in the AHL netted as many goals as he did in his one game with the Kings. He finished his season with 18 points (1-17-18) but was regularly used on a top-defensive pairing in Ontario, which is pretty impressive as a 22-year-old on a team that had several older defensemen. He showcased his versatility by playing both sides of the ice too, playing on the right on some games as a left-shot blueliner, with Ontario’s group slanted pretty heavily towards left-shot blueliners.
In looking at his game, Booth showed himself to be capable of moving the puck up the ice, though it didn’t translate into points. Per SportLOGIQ, Booth led all Ontario defensemen in controlled zone exits this season, either via the pass or by carrying the puck out of his zone. Like the Kings, Ontario’s group of defensemen was not a puck-moving group on the whole. Booth, while not specializing in that area, has some of it in his game and should he progress, it’s hopefully something that can translate going forward.
All in all, Booth has developed well for a fourth-round pick. His game has some Mikey Anderson in it – few deficiencies but also lacking a defining trait. There’s NHL opportunities for players like that who can elevate an overall game another step. We will see if Booth can do that entering next season.
2026-27 Status – When you look at who is under contract with the Kings on the blueline for next season, there doesn’t appear to be much room for a player like Booth right away, unless he would be a seventh defenseman. Lots of time between now and then, though, and that unit could undergo changes in the offseason after struggling in 2024-25. Among players under contract, Booth would be the top defensive option to potentially make the jump next season, either during training camp or via an in-season recall.
Kenny Connors
NHL Statline – 2 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 rating
AHL Statline – 65 games played, 18 goals, 21 assists, +18 rating
Like Booth, Connors also made his NHL debut on March 2 versus Colorado. He went on to play a second game in the league as well, three days later against the New York Islanders.
Connors was selected in the same NHL Draft as Booth, though he was one year behind on the professional front. Connors played an extra season in the NCAA, so 2025-26 was his first professional season. After he signed his entry level contract in March 2025, Connors stepped into the AHL and impressed, earning two NHL callups along the way. He did not see any game action on his first look but played twice during his second.
The bulk of his season was spent in the AHL, though, and he did a really nice job with 41 points (15-26-41) in 65 games as a rookie. 411 players were classified as AHL rookies this season. Connors ranked 13th among those players in overall scoring, with his 26 helpers ranking inside the AHL’s Top-10 by a first-year player. His +18 rating was tied for the sixth-best in the league among first-year players. At the AHL level, as he made the jump from the NCAA to the AHL, Connors impressed and turned in a fine debut season with the organization.
At the NHL level, there were some learning curves, but you saw a player who did not look out of place. He kept up with the pace and recorded a burst of 22+ MPH in the Colorado game, which outpaced several players on the Kings regular roster. He can skate at the NHL level. Long-term, Connors projects as a two-way forward and he played that role in the AHL. He was a center for the bulk of the season, which is impressive as a rookie, and played center in the NHL as well. He contributed on both special teams units and his three shorthanded assists in the AHL were one shy of the league lead.
Couldn’t have asked for a ton more from a first professional season from Connors. He’s an interesting one to evaluate this summer, with NHL potential, but he is still young and has growth to be made in the AHL.
2026-27 Status – Where Connors slots in likely comes down to what the Kings do over the next few months. It’s no secret that the Kings need to add centers this summer and Connors is, in fact, a center. He’s not the solution to replace Anze Kopitar play in the Top-6 next season but if the salary cap comes into play and the Kings are able to add say a couple of top-end players elsewhere to improve the roster, it opens up opportunities for younger players on entry-level contracts. Connors could be a beneficiary of that scenario, offering 3C potential next season if things shake out in that way.
Pheonix Copley
NHL Statline – 1 game played, 59 minutes played, 0-1-0 record, 3.07 goals against average, .893 save percentage
AHL Statline – 33 games played, 1,971 minutes played, 21-11-1 record, 2.59 goals against average, .901 save percentage
We’ve got a good sense of who Pheonix Copley is.
He’s a veteran goaltender who is more than capable of playing either a starting role or a complimentary, veteran role in the AHL. He is more than well enough versed to step up into the NHL as well, when situation dictates it. Copley played one game with the Kings this season and gave up three goals on 28 shots. One bad goal in that game but overall, he did enough to give the Kings a chance to win during a spot start.
Copley has filled that role for a few seasons now and he’s done so admirably. 2022-23 was naturally the highlight of Copley’s tenure with the organization and you never know what might’ve happened if not for an ACL tear in 2023-24. He’s largely played with the Reign over the past two seasons, in a tandem with Erik Portillo, and he’s done a solid job in doing so.
In the postseason, Copley and Portillo split the games. In Game 2, with Ontario trailing 1-0, Copley turned in a dazzling performance and was named as the game’s first star, as the Reign won and evened the series. Copley took the loss in Game 4, while Portillo played the other three games. A split that encompassed how things were handled all season long.
2026-27 Status – Probably a bit of an unknown for Copley this summer. The Kings have Portillo under contract, along with their NHL tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. They also have two younger goaltenders under contract in Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky who are both ready to begin their professional careers. That’s already probably one too many cooks in the kitchen but you also need a guy with NHL mettle to be recalled in case of an injury. Copley has been that guy. Portillo is ready to be that guy also, though. We’ll see if there’s a fit going forward as the Kings summer progresses. If so, he’s well-liked and would be considered to fill the same role in the future.
Andre Lee
NHL Statline – 7 games played, 1 goal, 1 assist, -2 rating
AHL Statline – 65 games played, 26 goals, 22 assists, +15 rating
In the AHL, Lee had his breakout season offensively. In 153 AHL games coming into this season, Lee had scored a total of 20 goals. In 65 games this season, he buried 26, the second-most on the team, as he was selected as the Reign’s representative at the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic.
After he made the Kings out of training camp last season, Lee played the majority of the first half of the season in the NHL but was loaned back to the Reign for the second half. The reasoning was that Lee could hold his own with fourth-line, energy minutes with the Kings but the organization felt there was more to his game that he needed to develop in the AHL in order to be a more effective NHL player. This season he did that, as he found the offensive touch to compliment his size and physicality. That wasn’t going to develop in the NHL and while the hope was that it might have come last season, it certainly came this season.
In a short NHL stint, Lee scored a big goal at Rogers Place in a 4-3 win over the Oilers in January and he logged seven games in total. Lee had an opportunity with players out of the lineup and showed generally well of himself. When everyone was healthy, though, he was loaned back to the Reign and spent the remainder of the season in the AHL.
2026-27 Status – Feels like a big summer for Andre Lee. He’s signed to a one-way contract for next season at the NHL’s league minimum. That sets him up well to compete for a bottom-six role or an extra forward spot with the Kings. He’s got ideal size to play a fourth-line brand of hockey and his offensive touch developed as the Kings hoped it would this season in the AHL. He’ll likely come into training camp with a legitimate chance of making the team and it’ll be up to him to seize that opportunity.
Taylor Ward
NHL Statline – 36 games played, 3 goals, 4 assists, even rating
NHL Playoff Statline – 1 game played, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 rating
AHL Statline – 32 games played, 12 goals, 9 assists, +1 rating
After he played the first half of the season in the AHL, Ward was recalled to the big club when there was an opportunity for him and he made the most of it. He was never sent back down to the Reign and spent the rest of the season with the Kings. In 36 NHL games, largely in a fourth-line role, Ward scored three goals and amassed seven points. In the process, he earned a two-year contract extension, which sets him up to compete for a roster spot in the fall to continue playing in the NHL.
Ward’s start with the Kings was extremely impactful. On a team that lacked energy for so long, Ward injected some. He was a willing forechecker and won puck battles as effectively as any player on the team. On a per/60 basis, Ward led the Kings in contested puck recoveries and percentage of loose-puck battles won in the offensive zone, per SportLOGIQ. I think that aligns with the game we saw Ward bring right after he was recalled.
While his offensive numbers were nothing major, Ward was a willing shooter. Looking at shot attempts, on a per/60 basis, Ward ranked fifth on the team among forwards who played regularly for the team this season. It didn’t translate into offense but on a team that was often in search of offense, Ward worked to try and provide some.
The way that Ward played early in his tenure earned him a contract extension with the team. I thought that his impact waned as the season went along but he was also playing through an injury late in the season that cost him some games and some effectiveness. Hard to quantify exactly how much impact it had on his game at times but he was certainly impacting games via the eye test more so when he first came up to the NHL than he was later in the season.
2026-27 Status – Ward’s play last season certainly has him on the NHL radar entering training camp. Armed with a one-way contract this season, he’ll have the chance to play his way onto the roster for opening night, potentially into the lineup, depending on how the Kings approach their bottom six. Ward is an older player for his NHL experience and he’s not an NHL lock. He did enough to be in that conversation, though, and impressed in stints. He’s a guy who I think you want on your team in a depth role. If he can deliver what he did early in his season on a more regular basis, he’s an NHL player in my opinion.
Jared Wright
NHL Statline – 23 games played, 0 goals, 4 assists, even rating
NHL Playoff Statline – 4 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 rating
AHL Statline – 54 games played, 17 goals, 13 assists, +27 rating
Might not have been a more impressive story in the AHL this season for the Ontario Reign than Jared Wright. I don’t think you would have expected his offensive production to be as good as it was. Wright scored 17 goals in his rookie season with the Reign, which is more than he had in any season he played in college with Denver University or in the USHL with Omaha. In fact, via Elite Prospects, it’s more than he scored with any one team in his career of seasons that were tracked. Smaller sample sizes, lots of mixed seasons with multiple teams, but to have your highest number be in the AHL is impressive.
Wright was always thought of as an extremely high floor player. His speed is exceptional and he’s already one of the best skaters in the NHL. The question, though, was how much offensive production would come along with it. In the AHL, it turned out to be a lot. Wright was an impactful penalty killer and scored twice shorthanded. His 15 even-strength goals in the AHL were tied for the sixth most in the league among first-year players. His +27 rating was second in the league among rookies. At that level, he exceeded expectations.
In the NHL, all of the traits translated……except the scoring. Wright played in 27 games with the Kings between the regular season and playoffs and did not score. He had four assists in those games, playing largely in a third-line role. He did a lot of things well but four points in 27 games is not third-line level production.
What he did well, though, was skate. Per NHL Edge data, only three players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs recorded a faster burst than Wright – Cale Makar, Valeri Nichushkin and Trevor Moore. Despite playing in only four games, Wright is still tied for ninth in speed bursts of 22+ MPH in the postseason. You saw that skating impact games on the forecheck and in transition. How he can harness that speed and turn it into offensive production will determine what his outlook is in the longer term.
2026-27 Status – In Ken Holland’s end-of-season interview, he said that he “expects” Wright to be on the Kings next season. The potential is obvious, considering the way that he skates. However, Wright hasn’t shown he’s a Top-9 forward in the NHL yet. There’s still a ways to go with developing his overall game. How much he is able to add onto his speed will ultimately determine the type of NHL player he can be. Assuming he does make the team, I’d expect to see him on the penalty kill more regularly. If he can continue to skate and forecheck as he did while adding say 10-15 goals, he’ll play in the NHL for a long time. If not, he’s likely a fourth-line player going forward, with a role depending on systematic fit.
