Kings vs Capitals projected lineup November 17 2025: full preview and expected lines

The Los Angeles Kings roll into Capital One Arena on Monday night to face the Washington Capitals with both clubs navigating early-season bumps and bruises. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the projected lineups released after optional morning skates show each coach leaning on veteran star power while patching around a growing injury list.

Kings vs Capitals projected lineup November 17 2025: forward units at a glance

Jim Hiller’s top nine has stayed remarkably consistent even as the blue line shuffles. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe were reunited on the first day of camp and have produced at a point-per-game pace together; Joel Armia’s size on the right side gives that trio a heavy-cycle identity that should test Washington’s young left side of Martin Fehervary and Jakob Chychrun.

1. Joel Armia – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
2. Kevin Fiala – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
3. Warren Foegele – Phillip Danault – Trevor Moore
4. Jeff Malott – Alex Turcotte – Corey Perry

The second line is where the Kings hope to create a speed mismatch. Fiala’s 14 points (9 G, 5 A) lead the club, and Byfield’s 56.8% face-off rate allows Laferriere to attack off the rush instead of starting in the DZ. Expect this unit to see plenty of Washington’s third pair, a matchup Los Angeles exploited for 14 high-danger chances the last time these teams met in 2024.

Washington’s forward groups are trickier to forecast because Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body) remains week-to-week. Spencer Carbery has opted for balance, sliding Dylan Strome between Connor McMichael and Alex Ovechkin in an effort to get the captain rolling after a five-game goal drought.

1. Connor McMichael – Dylan Strome – Alex Ovechkin
2. Aliaksei Protas – Justin Sourdif – Tom Wilson
3. Anthony Beauvillier – Hendrix Lapierre – Ryan Leonard
4. Brandon Duhaime – Nic Dowd – Ethen Frank

The third line is the energy source: Lapierre and Leonard have combined for six primary assists at 5-on-5, and Beauvillier’s forecheck numbers rank in the 89th percentile league-wide, according to Natural Stat Trick. If that trio can force turnovers against the Kings’ bottom six, Washington can shorten the game and keep the scoreboard tight.

Kings vs Capitals projected lineup November 17 2025: defensive pairs and injury watch

Drew Doughty’s absence moves Mikey Anderson into the top pairing alongside Brian Dumoulin, a tandem that logged 22:31 together in Ottawa and came within an eyelash of posting a shutout. The bigger question is special-teams usage: Anderson now quarterbacks the first power-play unit, a role he has filled for only 19 NHL minutes in his career. Keep an eye on whether Washington pressures the blue line aggressively on the penalty kill, a tactic the Capitals used successfully in last week’s 4-1 win over Tampa.

• Mikey Anderson – Brian Dumoulin
• Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
• Jacob Moverare – Cody Ceci

For the Capitals, John Carlson traveled with the team and took rushes in a red (no-contact) jersey at the optional skate. If the 35-year-old can’t go, expect the same look that survived 65 shot attempts against the Devils:

• Martin Fehervary – Trevor van Riemsdyk
• Jakob Chychrun – Matt Roy
• Rasmus Sandin – Declan Chisholm

Chychrun has points in four straight and is finally seeing the soft-match, offensive-zone starts that made him attractive at last year’s trade deadline. A big night from him could tilt the ice against a Kings second line that has surrendered three rush goals in its last two road games.

Special teams and goaltending edge

The Kings’ penalty kill sits sixth (86.1%) thanks to Danault’s face-off dominance and Kempe’s league-best shorthanded expected-goals rate. Washington’s power play, however, is 0-for-11 over the past three games and has fallen to 18th. If the Capitals can’t convert an early advantage, the tension will ratchet up on the home crowd.

In net, Darcy Kuemper (2.35 GAA, .918 SV%) gets the starter’s nod for Los Angeles after a 31-save blanking of the Senators. Washington will counter with Charlie Lindgren, who stopped 37 of 39 in the Saturday shootout and is 4-1-0 in his last five decisions. Lindgren’s rebound control will be tested by a Kings forecheck that creates more slot shots per 60 than any club in the Pacific Division.

Key match-ups and what to watch

1. Kopitar vs. Strome at 5-on-5: The veteran Selke winner has dominated possession (56 CF%) against Strome over the last two seasons; can Strome flip the script and spring Ovechkin for odd-man looks?
2. Anderson’s PP baptism: Washington’s second penalty-kill unit features Dowd and Duhaime, two of the league’s quickest lane-cloggers. If Anderson can’t walk the blue line with poise, the Kings may squander their one clear special-teams edge.
3. Wilson’s physicality: Tom Wilson leads the NHL in hits (68) and has already fought twice on home ice. A momentum-swinging collision with Fiala or Byfield could tilt a game that oddsmakers have as a virtual coin-flip (Capitals –120, implied 54% win probability).

Final thoughts and standings impact

Monday’s tilt is the first of a three-game season series, and both clubs view it as a schedule-turning opportunity. Los Angeles can vault into a wild-card cushion with a regulation win, while Washington can climb back to .500 before embarking on a four-game Canadian swing. Expect low-event hockey early as each coach shortens the bench to protect injured back ends, but the third period could open up if special teams don’t decide things first.

If the Kings’ retooled power play clicks, they have the depth and goaltending to leave D.C. with two points. If Carlson returns and the Capitals’ big line finally breaks out, Ovechkin might skate away with his 787th career goal and a much-needed home victory. Either way, the projected lineups released only hours before puck drop underscore how thin the margin is in a league where one blocked shot—like the one that felled Doughty—can reshape an entire matchup in an instant.