LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Samuel Helenius

Counter to my thought on him, interim head coach DJ Smith wasn’t afraid to use Helenius in key situations and match up against the opposition’s best, which he openly stated on his first day on the job as the interim.

2026-27 outlook

I was caught off guard when Smith said (paraphrasing) Helenius is a player he thinks can match up against anyone in the NHL.

Huh?

That’s high praise, but is he a player the Kings can match up against any of the top players in the league? If he is matched up against a Connor McDavid or a Nathan MacKinnon-caliber player, as NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal would say, that’s barbecue chicken.

Helenius isn’t a play-driving center, so I won’t expect much offense from him. I get the sense that the fourth-line center is his job to lose, given that the organization doesn’t fully seem to be high on or have the trust of Alex Turcotte to grab that fourth-line center spot, but that could change in camp. Helenius should be a capable 4C, but with very limited upside.