NHL2026-11-05Adrian Kempe Returns With a Hat Trick as Artemi Panarin Posts Four Assists in the Kings' 7-2 Rout of San Jose: Is Los Angeles' Power Play a Fantasy Buy?
By Verdexed NHL Desk
Adrian Kempe returned to the Los Angeles Kings' lineup on Wednesday and scored a hat trick with an assist in a 7-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at Crypto.com Arena. Artemi Panarin added four assists, Quinton Byfield scored twice and Darcy Kuemper made 30 saves as the Kings went 3-for-5 on the power play and posted their largest margin of victory this season. At 5-7-2, Los Angeles has underachieved through the first month, but Wednesday was the clearest look yet at what its top unit can do, and that matters for fantasy managers deciding whether to buy, hold or move on.
The box score
Kempe had missed the previous game, a 3-2 loss to Buffalo, with what reports described as an undisclosed injury or illness. He showed no sign of rust. His hat trick goal came on the power play late in the second period, and it was his fifth career hat trick.
| Kings player | Goals | Assists | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Kempe | 3 | 1 | Fifth career hat trick |
| Artemi Panarin | 0 | 4 | Set up Byfield's first goal |
| Quinton Byfield | 2 | 0 | First goal on the power play |
| Darcy Kuemper | 30 saves |
Byfield's first goal came at 18:38 of the first period on a one-timer from the slot off a Panarin feed, on the power play. Sources disagree on whether his second goal, at 14:28 of the third, came on the power play or at even strength, so the safest way to count it for your league's scoring is to check your provider's box score.
Why the Panarin connection matters
Panarin gives the Kings an elite playmaker to pair with their scorers, but the team's results through the first month had not matched the talent on the top unit. Kempe and Panarin connected for a goal as early as October 20 in Washington, and Byfield's presence on the power play gives the unit a net-front shooter who can finish Panarin's passes from the slot.
The fantasy implication is straightforward: Panarin is a high-volume assist producer in category and points leagues, and the players finishing his passes are the ones who gain the most. Kempe, as a natural shooter with a hard release, is the biggest beneficiary. Byfield, if he stays on the top power-play unit, gets a bump in power-play points and shots.
Fantasy fallout
Adrian Kempe: start everywhere. Kempe's floor comes from shots and power-play time, and his ceiling is nights like Wednesday. Assuming he is past whatever kept him out of the Buffalo game, he is a top-line, top-unit winger worth a weekly start in all formats.
Artemi Panarin: start everywhere. Four-assist games are why he remains a premium fantasy asset. In points leagues, his assist volume makes him a borderline top-tier forward even on a team with a losing record.
Quinton Byfield: buy in deeper leagues. Byfield's two-goal night and his role on the power play make him one of the more interesting adds in leagues with 12 or more teams. He left an October game with an upper-body injury, so health has been a concern, but a healthy Byfield on a power-play unit with Panarin is a multi-category contributor.
Darcy Kuemper: hold. Thirty saves in a lopsided win is a strong fantasy night, but the Kings' record has been driven by inconsistent defensive play. Kuemper is a mid-tier fantasy goalie whose value depends on matchups. Start him against weaker offenses, and stream around him against the league's best.
How to use the Kings in weekly and DFS lineups
In weekly head-to-head leagues, the Kings are worth targeting in weeks when they play four games, because their top unit now has three legitimate fantasy contributors. In DFS, a Kempe and Panarin stack carries correlation on the power play: a single power-play goal can produce points for both, and Byfield is the cheaper third piece when he is priced as a depth player.
The risk is concentration. If the top unit is held off the scoresheet, the stack fails together. That makes the Kings a better tournament play than a cash-game anchor, especially against teams with strong penalty kills.
The Sharks side
San Jose was overwhelmed in every phase, and the Sharks' penalty kill allowed three goals on five chances. For fantasy managers, Sharks goalies are not starts in road games against high-powered power plays until the team's defensive structure improves. San Jose's young core remains a long-term dynasty interest, but short-term fantasy value is limited to players with heavy minutes.
Betting angle
Los Angeles' 5-7-2 record suggests a market that may still be pricing the Kings as an average team. If the top power-play unit is truly healthy and clicking, the team's goal output could tick up, which is relevant for team totals and puck-line bets against weaker opponents. The caution is that a single seven-goal game against a struggling opponent is a small sample. Watch the next three or four games to see whether the power play sustains its form against stronger penalty kills.
For the model's daily view on Kings games, see /nhl/predictions and the daily picks pages at /blog/nhl-picks-2026-11-05.
What's next
The Kings need to turn one big night into a run to climb back into the Pacific race. Fantasy managers should lock in Kempe and Panarin, take a flier on Byfield in deeper leagues and use Kuemper selectively. If Los Angeles strings together power-play goals in the next week, expect Byfield's ownership to jump quickly, so the time to add him is now.