​William Liang-Imagn Images3 burning Kings questions entering 2026-27 NHL season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Los Angeles Kings are entering a completely new era for their franchise. Anze Kopitar has retired from the game of hockey after spending his entire playing career in Los Angeles. He is the only captain in franchise history to lead the Kings to the Stanley Cup. Now, Los Angeles has to find its next superstar.Kopitar is a future Hall of Famer, and his contributions will sorely be missed. At the same time, he clearly wasn’t the same player anymore. He remained their most reliable center, but it was time for him to ride off into the sunset.The Kings did not directly replace him in the 2026 offseason. However, Los Angeles won’t be lacking in veteran leadership. Mats Zuccarello, Corey Perry, and Erik Haula all joined Los Angeles this summer. They have veteran leadership to go around.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)It’s certainly no secret what this team wants to do. Despite Kopitar’s retirement, the Kings are gunning for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. First, there are some important questions this team will need to address during the season.How will Kings move forward without Anze Kopitar?© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn ImagesThe most obvious question involves Anze Kopitar. The future Hall of Famer is so ingrained into the history of this team that it’s hard not to wonder about what a future without him looks like. Los Angeles has to figure it out sooner rather than later.Kopitar certainly wasn’t the player he used to be at the end of his career. Very few players maintain an elite level of play throughout their entire career. But the impact he made, and the importance he held, are undeniable.Los Angeles believes it can still contend for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But what will this team look like once the puck drops? This may be the most important question to answer this coming season.Is Quinton Byfield the successor to Kopitar?With Kopitar gone, it’s fair to ask who the No. 1 center will be. Los Angeles didn’t swing a huge blockbuster trade this summer to land a direct replacement. What that tells us is that they are putting their eggs in the basket of Quinton Byfield.Byfield is a former second-overall pick of the Kings from the 2020 NHL Draft. He struggled with injuries early in his professional career. However, he has since established himself as a regular NHL player. Last season, he was second on the team with 49 points.Going from a regular NHL player to a top-line center is a major jump to make. It’s the jump Los Angeles is expecting him to make sooner rather than later, though. Does Byfield have what it takes to take up the mantle left by Kopitar? Or are the Kings still searching for their next franchise center?Can aging roster fuel deep playoff run?There are two teams in the NHL with an average roster age of 30, according to Elite Prospects. Those teams are th