EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The days of sleep-inducing Los Angeles Kings hockey are over.Harsh? Unfair? On the nose? Each may be true depending on how it feels to watch the Kings, especially this season as they grinded and defended and grinded and defended. Rinse and repeat. Endlessly.The unyielding commitment to responsible two-way play, with an emphasis on taking care of their own end before tackling the opponent’s ice, undoubtedly factored into the Kings producing an average of 46 wins and 102 standings points over four consecutive playoff-bound seasons. But their risk-averse, play-it-safe style never got them past the first round. And then, with an offense that was no longer able to thrive in a low-event system, it became harder and harder to win at all.Kings general manager Ken Holland saw enough. He’s only been on the job for a year, but anyone could tell that the team’s structured system got it as far as possible with the players it has, in an NHL where it pays to be aggressive and take chances. Hiring Peter Laviolette after retaining Jim Hiller, and then replacing Hiller with associate coach D.J. Smith, is an admission and a realization.“We’ve got to get back at least to where we were the year before,” Holland said, citing how the Kings dropped from 249 goals in 2024-25 to 220 this season. “Part of that is going to be personnel driven. Part of that’s going to probably be style and play-driven mentality. And, certainly, the head coach has a lot to do with that.”The Kings fell to 29th in scoring in 2025-26. Several individuals didn’t produce as they had in prior seasons. The secondary offense mostly dried up. And a defense corps outside of Brandt Clarke failed to give any added boost. Add a mostly bad power play, and it’s no wonder that 40 percent of their games went beyond regulation.But it didn’t help that the Kings played in a system bent to limit mistakes, which also stifled creativity. The NHL has changed since they helped define bruising “big-boy” hockey in winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, and this year’s Final reflects that. Even though the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes possess clashing styles, these two disciplined teams have combined to score 33 goals in Games 1-4.You can’t just talk about wanting to score more. You have to weave it into what you do on the ice. Laviolette represents that necessary change.Kevin McCarthy, a former longtime assistant of his with four previous teams, predicted that offensive players will love Laviolette’s system because it’s about constant movement. And Laviolette said Wednesday, during his formal introduction to local media, that an aggressive, five-man attacking mindset is what he’s believed in for decades. What worked with the Hurricanes when he won the Stanley Cup in 2006, in other words.“That doesn’t necessarily make it the right way or the wrong way,” Laviolette said. “That Stanley Cup has been won a whole bunch of different ways. But I have a belief on the way that the game should be played, and I don’t think it should be irresponsible of defense. I think that you need to take care of your own end and take care of your goaltenders and do your best to limit things.“But I also, through my experiences and even just watching the playoffs right now, (think) this is an attack-oriented game. And you have to be willing to move. You have to be able to have a plan in place when there’s no offense available. I think five-on-five is the hardest way to score a goal. There’s 10 guys in the zone, there’s got to be a plan, and we’ll work on that plan from day one of camp. And so that attack mode for me is something that I’ve believed in my whole life.”Laviolette said the Kings have the personnel to execute his vision without reckless play. That is debatable presently. Laviolette prefers to activate his defense, and it can pay off in generating more offense from the back end. It could help unleash Clarke, but otherwise, the Kings have the offensively limited Mikey Anderson, Joel Edmundson, Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci. And the erstwhile Drew Doughty is coming off a season with only 23 points over 72 games.Reshaping the blue line to fit Laviolette’s system will be high on Holland’s to-do list, along with addressing a center position that faces a big vacancy created by Anze Kopitar’s retirement. Holland said Wednesday that he spoke with Scott Laughton’s agent, Pat Morris, at last week’s NHL scouting combine with the goal of re-signing the veteran he acquired at this year’s trade deadline.About the defense, Holland said, “We’ll see what can happen. I’m not sure where things are going to go. … But certainly, Peter and I have talked about trying to get the most out of the defense and how we can get the defense a little more involved in our offense.”The Kings will need to re-sign Clarke, who is set to become a restricted free agent. Doughty is entering the final year of his contract, and Holland said initial extension talks have taken place with him. But the remaining defensemen are signed through at least 2027-28, with Anderson locked up for five more years and Ceci for another three.How the Kings’ defense is comprised when Laviolette starts his first training camp won’t affect his approach. Every blueliner will be expected to close on attacking forwards and support a two-man forecheck when the puck is in the offensive end.“Just because somebody’s touted as a defensive defenseman, I don’t think that they should not add to the back side of a rush or that they shouldn’t try to get involved in the offensive zone or that should not try to bring their skills into the game,” Laviolette said. “And by doing that, I believe that it creates an openness for others. There’s not going to be two sets of plans for those that we consider offensive and those that we consider great defensive defensemen.“There’ll be one set of rules, one set of plans, and those players will be expected to try to do their best to implement that plan.”For the best chance at delivering results, it will be on Holland to upgrade the roster and give Laviolette more talent to execute his demanding style. But the shift to a more offensive-minded coach could be refreshing for leading scorer Adrian Kempe and uplifting for Quinton Byfield. It could take Alex Laferriere to new heights. Fans will also hope Clarke can thrive under Laviolette as Roman Josi did in Nashville and Adam Fox did in New York. (Don’t be surprised if Phil Housley is recruited to L.A. as an assistant).A lot has already been made about the reunion between Laviolette and Artemi Panarin. Three seasons ago, Panarin had a 49-goal, 120-point explosion as the New York Rangers won 55 games and reached the Eastern Conference final. The left wing has remained a point-per-game player, putting up 27 in 26 regular-season games with Los Angeles since his Feb. 5 trade.Laviolette called Panarin an extremely talented player who is a “game-breaker and a difference-maker.”“He’s not just a goal-scorer,” Laviolette added. “He’s not just a playmaker. He’s elusive and shifty. He can change a game on any given night. I’m really excited to work with him again. I loved working with him in New York, and I’ll get that opportunity again.”The Kings are putting their faith in a coach who has often gotten the job done, despite the firings he’s experienced along the way. Trips to the Stanley Cup Final with three different teams. Fourteen playoff appearances. Five division winners. Twice captured the President’s Trophy. Out of the five coaches they’ve had since Darryl Sutter, Laviolette’s resume tops that of any other the Kings have brought in.With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers also considering Laviolette, pressure was on Holland to get a deal done. Now Laviolette has a three-year contract and the means to jolt the Kings out of their unimaginative ways.“Pro hockey’s hard to win at, and he’s done a lot of winning,” Holland said. “And then, obviously, in our talks and his presentations about the things that are important to him, I believe, are key traits in getting the most out of your team.”Time will tell whether Laviolette can do that with the Kings. But, at least, they should be a more entertaining watch. It will be different, and that’s a refreshing start.