2020–21 Los Angeles Kings season

The 2020–21 Los Angeles Kings season was the 54th season (53rd season of play) for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 5, 1967. On December 20, 2020, the league temporarily realigned into four divisions with no conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing closure of the Canada–United States border. As a result of this realignment, the Kings played this season in the West Division and only played games against the other teams in their new division during the regular season.

2020–21 Los Angeles Kings
Division	6th West
2020–21 record	21–28–7
Home record	9–14–5
Road record	12–14–2
Goals for	143
Goals against	170
Team information
General manager	Rob Blake
Coach	Todd McLellan
Captain	Anze Kopitar
Alternate captains	Dustin Brown Drew Doughty Jeff Carter Alex Iafallo
Arena	Staples Center
Minor league affiliate(s)	Ontario Reign (AHL)
Team leaders
Goals	Dustin Brown (17)
Assists	Anze Kopitar (37)
Points	Anze Kopitar (50)
Penalty minutes	Kurtis MacDermid (36)
Plus/minus	Blake Lizotte Austin Strand (+2)
Wins	Jonathan Quick (11)
Goals against average	Jonathan Quick (2.86)

On May 7, 2021, the Kings were eliminated from playoff contention after a 3–2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, failing to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Standings

Divisional standings

West Division

Pos	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	RW	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	p – Colorado Avalanche	56	39	13	4	35	197	133	+64	82
2	x – Vegas Golden Knights	56	40	14	2	30	191	124	+67	82
3	x – Minnesota Wild	56	35	16	5	27	181	160	+21	75
4	x – St. Louis Blues	56	27	20	9	19	169	170	−1	63
5	e – Arizona Coyotes	56	24	26	6	19	153	176	−23	54
6	e – Los Angeles Kings	56	21	28	7	19	143	170	−27	49
7	e – San Jose Sharks	56	21	28	7	15	151	199	−48	49
8	e – Anaheim Ducks	56	17	30	9	11	126	179	−53	43

Source: National Hockey League
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
e – Eliminated from playoff contention; p – Clinched Presidents' Trophy; x – Clinched playoff spot

Schedule and results

Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.

2020–21 game log
January: 3–3–2 (Home: 1–1–2 ; Road: 2–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 January 14 Minnesota 4–3 Los Angeles OT Quick 0 0–0–1 1 2 January 16 Minnesota 4–3 Los Angeles OT Quick 0 0–0–2 2 3 January 19 Colorado 3–2 Los Angeles Petersen 0 0–1–2 2 4 January 21 Colorado 2–4 Los Angeles Quick 0 1–1–2 4 5 January 23 Los Angeles 2–4 St. Louis Petersen 0 1–2–2 4 6 January 24 Los Angeles 6–3 St. Louis Quick 0 2–2–2 6 7 January 26 Los Angeles 2–1 Minnesota Petersen 0 3–2–2 8 8 January 28 Los Angeles 3–5 Minnesota Quick 0 3–3–2 8
February: 6–4–2 (Home: 2–1–1 ; Road: 4–3–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 9 February 2 Anaheim 3–1 Los Angeles Petersen 0 3–4–2 8 10 February 5 Los Angeles 2–5 Vegas Quick 0 3–5–2 8 11 February 7 Los Angeles 3–4 Vegas Petersen 0 3–6–2 8 12 February 9 San Jose 4–3 Los Angeles SO Petersen 0 3–6–3 9 13 February 11 San Jose 2–6 Los Angeles Petersen 0 4–6–3 11 — February 13 Minnesota – Los Angeles Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for April 23. 14 February 16 Minnesota 0–4 Los Angeles Quick 0 5–6–3 13 15 February 18 Los Angeles 3–2 Arizona SO Quick 2,281 6–6–3 15 16 February 20 Los Angeles 4–2 Arizona Petersen 3,187 7–6–3 17 17 February 22 Los Angeles 3–0 St. Louis Quick — 8–6–3 19 18 February 24 Los Angeles 2–1 St. Louis Petersen — 9–6–3 21 19 February 26 Los Angeles 1–3 Minnesota Quick 0 9–7–3 21 20 February 27 Los Angeles 3–4 Minnesota OT Petersen 0 9–7–4 22
March: 5–7–2 (Home: 3–2–1 ; Road: 2–5–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 21 March 3 Arizona 3–2 Los Angeles Quick 0 9–8–4 22 22 March 5 St. Louis 3–2 Los Angeles OT Petersen 0 9–8–5 23 23 March 6 St. Louis 3–4 Los Angeles OT Quick 0 10–8–5 25 24 March 8 Los Angeles 5–6 Anaheim OT Petersen 0 10–8–6 26 25 March 10 Los Angeles 5–1 Anaheim Grosenick 0 11–8–6 28 26 March 12 Los Angeles 0–2 Colorado Petersen 0 11–9–6 28 27 March 14 Los Angeles 1–4 Colorado Petersen 0 11–10–6 28 — March 15 St. Louis – Los Angeles Postponed due to the March 2021 North American blizzard. Rescheduled for May 10. 28 March 17 St. Louis 1–4 Los Angeles Petersen 0 12–10–6 30 29 March 19 Vegas 4–2 Los Angeles Quick 0 12–11–6 30 30 March 21 Vegas 1–3 Los Angeles Petersen 0 13–11–6 32 31 March 22 Los Angeles 1–2 San Jose Quick 0 13–12–6 32 32 March 24 Los Angeles 2–4 San Jose Petersen 0 13–13–6 32 33 March 29 Los Angeles 1–4 Vegas Quick 3,950 13–14–6 32 34 March 31 Los Angeles 4–2 Vegas Petersen 3,950 14–14–6 34
April: 5–9–0 (Home: 3–8–0 ; Road: 2–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 35 April 2 San Jose 3–0 Los Angeles Petersen 0 14–15–6 34 36 April 3 San Jose 3–2 Los Angeles Quick 0 14–16–6 34 37 April 5 Arizona 5–2 Los Angeles Petersen 0 14–17–6 34 38 April 7 Arizona 3–4 Los Angeles Quick 0 15–17–6 36 39 April 9 Los Angeles 2–5 San Jose Petersen 0 15–18–6 36 40 April 10 Los Angeles 4–2 San Jose Quick 0 16–18–6 38 41 April 12 Vegas 4–2 Los Angeles Petersen 0 16–19–6 38 42 April 14 Vegas 6–2 Los Angeles Quick 0 16–20–6 38 — April 16 Los Angeles – Colorado Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for May 12. — April 18 Los Angeles – Colorado Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for May 13. 43 April 20 Anaheim 1–4 Los Angeles Petersen 1,431 17–20–6 40 44 April 23 Minnesota 4–2 Los Angeles Petersen 1,091 17–21–6 40 45 April 24 Arizona 4–0 Los Angeles Petersen 1,497 17–22–6 40 46 April 26 Anaheim 1–4 Los Angeles Quick 1,373 18–22–6 42 47 April 28 Anaheim 3–2 Los Angeles Petersen 1,763 18–23–6 42 48 April 30 Los Angeles 2–1 Anaheim Quick 1,717 19–23–6 44
May: 2–5–1 (Home: 0–2–1 ; Road: 2–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 49 May 1 Los Angeles 2–6 Anaheim Petersen 1,717 19–24–6 44 50 May 3 Los Angeles 3–2 Arizona Quick 4,983 20–24–6 46 51 May 5 Los Angeles 4–2 Arizona Petersen 6,964 21–24–6 48 52 May 7 Colorado 3–2 Los Angeles Petersen 2,115 21–25–6 48 53 May 8 Colorado 3–2 Los Angeles Petersen 2,482 21–26–6 48 54 May 10 St. Louis 2–1 Los Angeles OT Petersen 2,154 21–26–7 49 55 May 12 Los Angeles 0–6 Colorado Petersen 4,042 21–27–7 49 56 May 13 Los Angeles 1–5 Colorado Grosenick 4,045 21–28–7 49
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)   Postponement

Transactions

The Kings have been involved in the following transactions during the 2020–21 season.

Free agents

Note: This does not include players who have re-signed with their previous team as an unrestricted free agent or as a restricted free agent.

Date	Player	New team	Previous team	Ref
October 9, 2020	Mark Alt	Los Angeles Kings	Colorado Avalanche
October 9, 2020	Troy Grosenick	Los Angeles Kings	Nashville Predators
October 10, 2020	Paul LaDue	Washington Capitals	Los Angeles Kings
October 12, 2020	Joakim Ryan	Carolina Hurricanes	Los Angeles Kings
October 16, 2020	Sheldon Rempal	Carolina Hurricanes	Los Angeles Kings
January 13, 2021	Trevor Lewis	Winnipeg Jets	Los Angeles Kings

Trades

* Retained Salary Transaction: Each team is allowed up to three contracts on their payroll where they have retained salary in a trade (i.e. the player no longer plays with Team A due to a trade to Team B, but Team A still retains some salary). Only up to 50% of a player's contract can be kept, and only up to 15% of a team's salary cap can be taken up by retained salary. A contract can only be involved in one of these trades twice.

Hover over-retained salary or conditional transactions for more information.

October

October 7, 2020	To Los Angeles Kings Lias Andersson	To New York Rangers VGK 2nd-round pick in 2020
October 7, 2020	To Los Angeles Kings EDM 2nd-round pick in 2020 (#45 overall)	To Detroit Red Wings VAN 2nd-round pick in 2020 (#51 overall) 4th-round pick in 2020 (#97 overall)
October 7, 2020	To Los Angeles Kings MTL 5th-round pick in 2020 (#140 overall)	To Carolina Hurricanes 6th-round pick in 2020 (#159 overall) 7th-round pick in 2021

March

March 27, 2021	To Los Angeles Kings Brendan Lemieux	To New York Rangers 4th-round pick in 2021
March 29, 2021	To Los Angeles Kings Christian Wolanin	To Ottawa Senators Michael Amadio

April

April 11, 2021

To Los Angeles Kings Conditional draft picks

To Pittsburgh Penguins Jeff Carter

Draft picks

See also: List of Los Angeles Kings draft picks

Below are the Los Angeles Kings' selections at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, which was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020 at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was held October 6–7, 2020 virtually via Video conference call from the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Round	#	Player	Pos	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
1	2	Quinton Byfield	C	Canada	Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
2	35	Helge Grans	D	Sweden	Malmö Redhawks (SHL)
2	51	Brock Faber	D	United States	U.S. NTDP (USHL)
3	66	Kasper Sinomtaival	RW	Finland	Tappara (Liiga)
3	83	Alex Laferriere	RW	United States	Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
4	112	Joho Markkanen	G	Finland	Kettera (Mestis)
5	128	Matin Chrormiak	RW	Slovakia	Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
7	190	Aatu Jamsen	RW	Finland	Lahti Pelicans U20 (Jr. A)