It's no secret that the Los Angeles Kings are the underdog against Presidents' Trophy winners, the Colorado Avalanche. In fact, they are probably the heaviest underdog across all first-round series matchups in these Stanley Cup playoffs.

Therefore, the Kings will need their best and key players to step up in a big way and perform even better than they did in the regular season.

Multiple players on the Kings' roster will be deemed important players for the playoffs. But in terms of those that could really turn the series in Los Angeles' favor, here are three playoff X-factors for the Kings in this first round, and the entirety of the post-season.

Artemi Panarin, LW

The Kings acquiring Artemi Panarin in February was likely the headline of the franchise in terms of one of the biggest moments of the season. And now that Los Angeles was able to squeeze into the playoffs, Panarin can prove why he's regarded as highly as he is.

Based on his skill level and the offensive production he's provided throughout his NHL career, he should be looked at as a leader on this team for his on-ice performance. In the playoffs, that's exactly what the Kings will need from their leading scorer: scoring.

NHL 26 Predicts A Woeful Stanley Cup Playoff Result For The Los Angeles KingsEA Sports NHL 26 provided the results of its annual Stanley Cup playoffs simulation, and it doesn't look pretty for the Los Angeles Kings in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Since joining the Kings, Panarin has featured in 26 regular-season games, scoring nine goals and 27 points.

Panarin last made a playoff appearance in 2023-24 when the New York Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final. He tallied 15 points in 16 games, made up of five goals and 10 assists.

The 34-year-old left winger has had good and bad playoff campaigns, but coming up against the league's best team, the Kings will need Panarin at his best and leading the way.

Los Angeles Kings (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

Quinton Byfield, C

While Quinton Byfield didn't have the campaign many were hoping for - especially being the assumed successor for Anze Kopitar as the No. 1 center - he certainly cranked it up to finish off the regular season.

He ended 2025-26 with a three-game goal streak, scoring four in that span. Furthermore, in his last 15 games, Byfield tied the league lead in goals with 11 since March 19. In total, he posted 14 points along the way.

He was arguably one of the hottest Kings down the stretch and has really seemed to blossom following the coaching change that made D.J. Smith the bench boss.

Has Kings' Quinton Byfield Flipped The Script On A Poor Regular Season?The 2025-26 NHL season has been an up and down battle for Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, but the 23-year-old has saved his best for hockey for the right time as he tries to help bring the Kings into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Kings seriously need Byfield to be a pivotal player against the Avalanche, especially if he's called on to match up against Nathan MacKinnon's line to meet his blistering speed. His streak to end the campaign was a great sign of a young player still growing, but he'll need to sustain his play in the post-season.

Anton Forsberg, G

Similar to Byfield, goaltender Anton Forsberg had an incredible surge late in the season that propelled him into the top tier of netminders by year's end. His play down the stretch has really given the Kings a new dimension going into the playoffs.

Ahead of the final week of the regular season, Forsberg was named the NHL's first star of the week, and beyond that, he's arguably been the best goalie in the league in April. This month, he posted a .943 save percentage and a 1.48 goals-against average, while winning five of his last six games.

Kuemper's Freefall and What Comes NextLOS ANGELES, CA — For five seasons, whether via trade, free agency, or injury, the Los Angeles Kings have cycled through an ensemble of starting goaltenders. Jonathan Quick, Joonas Korpisalo, Cam Talbot, Darcy Kuemper. That's a lengthy list for half a decade of turnaround and, in all likelihood, the highest turnover rate at the starting goaltender position among all qualified playoff teams over that span.

Goaltending is the most important position in hockey, and could be the reason a team wins a game, a series, or even the Stanley Cup.

In the short window to close out the season, Forsberg was one of Los Angeles' best players, and will need to remain that caliber of goaltender when facing MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Cale Makar, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and other elite stars.

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