The Kings vs Golden Knights matchup in Sin City already had enough bite to it. Then the morning skate added another layer: Darcy Kuemper did not take part in the optional session on Saturday, which strongly pointed to him being the guy in goal for the LA Kings against Vegas.
That matters because this is not a team strolling into Vegas with much margin for error. The Kings had dropped three straight to open the 2025-26 season, and they were doing it while missing Kevin Fiala, Mats Zuccarello and Alex Turcotte. That is not a minor adjustment. That is a full forward line gone, which leaves Peter Laviolette asking depth players to do far more than anyone planned in October.
A shorthanded Kings group cannot afford to look fragile
Laviolette did not try to dress it up as something exotic. The message was basically that every team runs into this, and depth is supposed to be the answer. Fair enough. But there is a difference between saying the words and surviving the reality. When you are down 11 forwards and 7 defensemen, the line between “next man up” and “we are patching this together” gets thin very quickly.
That is the uncomfortable truth for the Kings. They are not just missing names; they are missing structure. Kuemper’s likely start becomes more important in that environment because a team searching for its first win does not need a complicated night in net. It needs stability. It needs a goalie who can erase mistakes while the rest of the lineup tries to find a working combination.
Vegas, of course, arrives with its own context. The Golden Knights were fresh off a Tuesday win over Seattle in which Victor Olofsson suffered an injury, then followed that by coming back from a three-goal deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 and move to 4-1-0. That is the difference between a team in control and a team scrambling. One club is carrying momentum; the other is trying to stop the season from becoming a chase too early.
Brandt Clarke gives LA at least one reason to believe
One reason the Kings could at least have a pulse in this matchup is Brandt Clarke, whose recent production against Vegas has given LA a useful point of reference. It does not solve the injuries. It does not magically replace Fiala, Zuccarello or Turcotte. But it does suggest there is at least some evidence the Kings can create trouble for this opponent if the details are right.
Still, this is where the bigger issue kicks in. The Kings do not merely need a decent effort; they need a response. Three straight losses to start the season is how early frustration starts to harden into a trend. Against a Vegas side that knows exactly how to impose itself in these division games, the Kings cannot afford to be passive, disjointed or overly dependent on Kuemper bailing them out.
So, yes, the likely starter in goal is Darcy Kuemper. Yes, the missing forwards matter. And yes, Laviolette’s depth argument makes sense on paper. But paper does not win in Vegas. The Kings need something sturdier than a promise that others will step up. They need proof, and they need it fast.
