Within the Numbers # 30
The Kings are on the Rise
Each week we analyze the movement of all NHL teams when it comes to their balance, measured through a composite metric called the Team Balance Index (TBI) TBI is a summary metric that measures offense, defense, goaltending and grit in one metric. We use it to gauge directionality for teams and a team's propensity to win. TBI has a positive correlation to a team's Win Percentage, as you can see in the scatter plot below.
The LA Kings posted the biggest gain in TBI last week (10/29-11/04) out of all 32 NHL teams. They rose from 40.55 to 45.52, an impressive jump of 4.87 points that led every riser in this week's report. Their (Pythagorean) Win Percentage climbed with it at 0.10 (10%) along with it and their W/L Ratio improved by 0.21. Below is a snapshot of this week's top TBI Risers and Fallers.
Typically, it's no coincidence that a team begins firing up their TBI engine; these numbers usually come with some story behind them. One could argue that the story in LA centers on three key players: 1) a winger who arrived in February and now leads the team in goals; 2) a 23-year-old defenseman who leads the blue line in points; and 3) a 36-year-old captain who is producing at nearly double his pace from last season.
TB I and the Kings
To test this story, we need to look a bit deeper – at the player level – to see how these players are helping drive the "LA climb". For example, if we compare each skater's season totals across 10/29 to 11/04, we can begin to see where points are coming from. That is, Kings skaters gained 19 points in total, and Drew Doughty, Artemi Panarin and Brendt Clarke accounted for seven of them (roughly 37% of the production) with the other 12 being spread across the team. Below are their season totals as of November 4 – including the 10/29 to 11/04 window.
If we profile these three players against who moved the most in the window, Doughty posted the biggest weekly points gain, Panarin leads the way in season scoring, and Clarke sits second on both measures. Point being: these guys are helping drive the numbers.
Player Deep Dive
Now it wasn't always sunshine and unicorns in LA; they opened the season without a lot of fanfare. They lost their first six games, several of them in overtime or a shootout, before breaking through with a win over Washington and following it with an eventual 2-4-2 record in their first eight games. So, you can see how notable this week's TBI gain is for them, and it suggests the wins are now coming from more than one part of the team.
Let's explore each of the three players.
Artemi Panarin: The Finisher
Panarin arrived in LA on February 4th, after the New York Rangers traded him for prospect Liam Greentree and conditional picks. He signed a two-year, $22 million extension the same day. In 26 games after the trade, he produced 27 points. The 35-year-old now leads the team with 13 points and 8 goals, and the club named him an alternate captain for 2026-2027. This week, he added a goal and an assist and he tied for the most shots on goal in our TBI window with ten shots on goal.
Panarin's Shooting Percentage is definitely something to watch. He sits at 19.0% for the season, which is definitely high – it is likely to settle as the season wears on. The goal production has definitely been the story so far, but shot volume with a high conversi0n to goals is what will help LA continue to climb in the league.
Brandt Clarke: The Blue-Line Engine
Our second featured player is Brandt Clarke, who at 23 years of age is the youngest of the three and locked into a long-term contract. He signed a five-year, $37 million contract in late June, an average of $7.4 million per year that keeps him in LA through 2030-31. This deal follows a career-best 2025-26 season: 8 goals and 32 assists in all 82 games. And he has carried this momentum forward. He has 10 points in 13 games, second on the team behind Panarin, and he shares the team lead with 7 assists.
Clarke is strong on the power play; he now shares the team lead with four power-play points. He also scored the overtime winner against the Islanders on 10/22 to give the Kings a 3-2 victory.
The one smudge on his stats is his Plus/Minus, which is at -6. It's near bottom to Quinton Byfield's -7. Definitely a watch area when thinking about individual performance vis-a-vis line matchups.
Drew Doughty: The Captain Still Moving the Needle
Doughty was named the 15th captain in Kings history for the 2026-27 season, succeeding Anze Kopitar – who retired last season. He is 36 years of age and in the final year of his contract. Adrian Kempe, Panarin and Mikey Anderson serve as alternate captains alongside him. Further, reports in June said he would not receive an extension this summer. However, none of this has slowed him down, as is evidenced by his stats. This past week, he added 3 assists and he holds the team's best Plus/Minus at +7.
The rate, though, is the interesting part: Doughty has 7 points in 12 games or about 0.58 points per game. Last season, he finished with 23 points in 72 games, roughly 0.32 points per game. That is nearly double the pace for a 36-year-old defenseman.
What to Watch Next
The great thing about TBI is that you can look at it week-over-week and see different teams that may be rising or falling. It is, though, important to look at the bigger picture as well – so track how all teams are trending throughout the season. High-performing teams typically have a more consistent performance, rather than a pop and fizzle that alternates throughout the year. For example, here's the game-by-game view of the Kings from the beginning of the 2026-27 season; they are absolutely moving in the right direction.
And while these results for LA are encouraging, this is the battle that is the regular season – and we're here for it. The Sabres performed well last season (and haven't quite picked up the steam yet). However, what's encouraging about the Kings (at least the players we profiled here) is:
• Panarin's finishing rate. A 19.0 shooting percentage is unlikely to hold, so watch whether his shot volume stays high.
• Clarke's plus-minus. His power-play points carry the scoring, and the on-ice number will show whether that production comes with better results.
• Doughty's rate. Whether seven points in 12 games becomes a pattern is the open question.
• The TBI itself. Whether the Kings keep climbing depends on production staying spread across the lineup, not on three players.
Admittedly, the King's climb is real, but it's also early. A one-week window is not the entire season; it's an outlier until it becomes a trend. However, what it does show is a roster getting points from more players, and that is the kind of balance this report exists to track – not to mention an average improvement from the beginning of the season.
We will check back next week and see whether the Kings keep rising or whether there is a regression away from the middle.
