Where Does Trevor Moore Fit into the Kings' Lineup Now?

It seems like only yesterday that Trevor Moore was on the most untouchable line the Los Angeles Kings could possibly ice. With Viktor Arvidsson and Philip Danault, Moore was a part of one of the most consistent offensive trios the Kings have iced in the post-Cup era.

Their success culminated in a 31 goal, 57 point season for Moore in 2023-24, the finest campaign of his NHL career. Even with the departure of Arvidsson in the summer, the expectation was that Moore would continue lighting the lamp this season, alongside his usual centerman Danault and the offensively gifted Kevin Fiala.

Things didn’t quite unfold that way. Moore and Danault started the season with Tanner Jeannot, and the trio failed to make an impact in the early portions of the season. Fiala was eventually put on their wing, but he, Moore. and Danault all struggled offensively.

With the rotating door of wingers being sampled with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, it was inevitable that Moore would get a look there as well. The results were mixed.

Per NaturalStatTrick, the combination of Moore, Kopitar, and Kempe have struggled in all situations.

Corsi For Percentage: 45.03

Fenwick For Percentage: 42.37

Expected Goals For Percentage: 32.01

Scoring Chances For Percentage: 36.99

High Danger Chances For Percentage: 46.15

In a stark contract, the addition of Alex Turcotte to that top line has yielded 10-20 percentage point improvements in all those categories.

With Moore’s recent injury, the lines centered by Danault and Quinton Byfield have also thrived, giving the Kings three forward lines that are sub 50% in every possession and scoring chance metric you can find.

In the three games Moore has missed since December 14th, the top three lines have been all over the scoresheet for LA, giving the Kings the type of depth they’ve been chasing for two years. With the current top-9 configuration, the team has scored 14 goals in 3 games, getting 6 goals from the Kopitar line, 3 goals from the Danault line, and 5 goals from the Byfield line.

This type of offensive output and chemistry begs the question: What do the Kings do with Moore when he returns? It’s unclear when that would be, but it’s a conversation that is likely being had at this moment.

Further complicating the situation could be Coach Jim Hiller’s penchant for running 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. With Moore’s return, they could shift to a 12F-6D set up, but LA’s record with Hiller’s 11F-7D configuration can’t be ignored. The Kings are a staggering 18-3-2 when deploying 11 forwards and 7 defensemen.

In reality, the Kings will absolutely find a place for Moore in the lineup when he returns. Between now and then, several things could happen. Slumps, injuries, and roster moves are all within the realm of possibility. However, if the Kings keep humming along, there may be a tough decision to be made with Trevor Moore.