Up next in our series of the Los Angeles Kings' player report cards for the 2025-26 season is young center Alex Turcotte.
It's been a winding road with plenty of twists and turns throughout Turcotte's NHL career. He appears to be settling into a new role in the Kings' lineup heading into the 2026-27 season.
The former fifth overall pick of the Kings in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft lottery, Turcotte had to redefine his role in the Kings' lineup during the 2025-26 season.
Alex Turcotte's performance for the Los Angeles Kings in the 2025-26 season
In the 2025-26 season, Turcotte registered three goals, 11 assists, and 14 total points in 62 games played.
The expectations were higher for Turcotte entering the 2025-26 season after he finally appeared to establish himself as an everyday NHL player during the previous campaign.
While the offensive production was disappointing, Turcotte still faced challenges throughout the season as injuries and lineup shuffling impacted his ability to find consistency. Despite those obstacles, he remained a useful depth contributor and continued developing his all-around game.
On a positive note, Turcotte did improve his effectiveness in the faceoff circle. He registered a career-high of nearly 55 percent of faceoff wins this past regular season for the Kings.
Turcotte also became a more complete player on both sides of the ice for the Kings this past regular season. Not only did he set career highs in blocked shots, hits, and takeaways, but he also registered the second-best scoring chances for percentage (57 percent) on the team at even strength at 5-on-5 play during the regular season in 2025-26 (per Natural Stat Trick).
It's also worth mentioning that Turcotte has become a much more reliable and instinctive player in the defensive and neutral zone for the Kings. He utilizes his speed and vision on the ice well to make plays and get to the right spots in transition and to help the Kings on both sides of the ice.
Turcotte's perseverance deserves some recognition. After multiple injury setbacks early in his professional career, he has gradually established himself as an NHL regular while continuing to improve the defensive and detail-oriented aspects of his game.
Injuries also limited Turcotte's postseason impact, as he appeared in just one playoff game during the Kings' first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
Part of the challenge in evaluating Turcotte is balancing the player he has become against the expectations that come with being a top-five draft pick. While he has developed into a useful NHL player, the offensive upside that once made him such a highly regarded prospect has yet to fully emerge.
2025-26 Season Grade: C-
What to expect from Alex Turcotte moving forward with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2026-27 season?
There is still a chance that Turcotte can become a meaningful offensive contributor for the Kings in the future. Since he's just 24 years old this offseason, he still has time and room to grow his game in the zone offensively going into the future.
At this point, the biggest question surrounding Turcotte is no longer whether he can stick in the NHL. The question is whether he can develop into more than a bottom-six forward. The Kings have already seen encouraging growth in his defensive game, but the next step will be translating that progress into more consistent offensive production.
The 2026-27 season could be one of the most important years of Turcotte's career. With Anze Kopitar retired and the Kings searching for long-term answers at center, opportunities could become available. Whether Turcotte can capitalize on those opportunities and rediscover the offensive upside that made him a top-five draft pick remains one of the more intriguing questions facing the organization.
