The Los Angeles Kings (1-4-2 this season) visit the New York Islanders (5-3-1 this season) at UBS Arena on Thursday, October 22, 2026, and this preview lays out the Kings vs Islanders odds, puck line, total, goalies, injuries and recent trends. Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local) in Elmont, N.Y., with TV on ESPN+ / Hulu / Disney+ / Sportsnet+.
Storyline: Los Angeles enters Thursday at 1-4-2 after a 5-2 win at Washington (Oct. 20). The Islanders enter Thursday at 5-3-1 after a 3-2 win over Anaheim (Oct. 20). Special teams stand out on paper: the Islanders’ power play ranks 23rd in the NHL at 17.9 percent, while Los Angeles’ penalty kill ranks 31st at 64 percent (NHL.com). Los Angeles won both meetings last season: 5-3 at home on March 5, 2026 and 3-2 on the road on March 13 (NHL.com).
Kings vs Islanders Odds & Line Movement
| Matchup | Los Angeles Kings @ New York Islanders |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Los Angeles Kings 1-4-2 | New York Islanders 5-3-1 |
| 2025-26 Records | Los Angeles Kings 35-27-20 | New York Islanders 43-34-5 |
| Head Coaches | LAK: Peter Laviolette (1st season) | NYI: Peter DeBoer (2nd season) |
| Puck Line | LAK +1.5 (-270) | NYI -1.5 (+220) |
| Moneyline | Los Angeles Kings: +100 | New York Islanders: -120 |
| Total | O/U 5.5 (o-105 / u-115) |
| Opening Line (DraftKings) | LAK -102 / NYI -118 | total 5.5 |
| Venue | UBS Arena (Elmont, N.Y.) |
| Date / Time | Thursday, October 22, 2026 — 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local) |
| TV / How to Watch | ESPN+ / Hulu / Disney+ / Sportsnet+ |
| Probable Starting Goalies | LAK: Darcy Kuemper (probable, per ESPN; not confirmed) | NYI: Ilya Sorokin (probable, per ESPN; not confirmed) |
Kings vs Islanders odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, ~1:43 PM ET. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. ESPN lists Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles) and Ilya Sorokin (Islanders) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time.
In the Kings vs Islanders odds market, on the moneyline, the Islanders opened at -118 and Los Angeles at -102 at DraftKings; the Islanders have moved from -118 to -120 and Los Angeles has moved from -102 to +100 as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, ~1:43 PM ET. The total opened at 5.5 (over +100, under -120) and is 5.5 (over -105, under -115) now. On the puck line, the Islanders -1.5 opened at +200 and is +220. Opening prices are the first numbers DraftKings posted, per ESPN.
Los Angeles Kings Preview: Panarin Leads a 1-4-2 Start
2025-26 recap: Los Angeles went 35-27-20 (90 points), finished fourth in the Pacific Division and was swept by Colorado in the first round. Adrian Kempe led the team with 73 points (36 goals, 37 assists), Quinton Byfield had 49 points, Alex Laferriere had 44, and Artemi Panarin had 27 points in 26 games after arriving from the Rangers during the season (NHL.com).
Offseason moves: Laviolette replaced D.J. Smith, who finished last season as coach after Jim Hiller began it. Los Angeles added forward Mats Zuccarello (54 points for Minnesota), forward Erik Haula (38 points for Nashville) and defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Longtime center Anze Kopitar (38 points in 67 games) is no longer on the roster, and Andrei Kuzmenko now plays for Pittsburgh (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Kempe, Panarin, Byfield, Laferriere, Zuccarello, Haula, Trevor Moore, Corey Perry and Scott Laughton lead the forwards. Drew Doughty, Brandt Clarke, Mikey Anderson, Brian Dumoulin, Cody Ceci and Joel Edmundson are on defense.
Season so far: Los Angeles is 1-4-2 through seven games, with 17 goals scored and 27 allowed. Results: an 8-4 loss at Colorado (Sept. 30), a 5-4 overtime loss at San Jose (Oct. 3), a 2-1 loss to Florida (Oct. 6), a 2-1 overtime loss at Vegas (Oct. 10), a 4-1 loss to Edmonton (Oct. 13), a 4-1 loss to Boston (Oct. 17) and a 5-2 win at Washington (Oct. 20). Artemi Panarin has seven points (four goals, three assists), and Adrian Kempe has six points (three goals, three assists) (NHL.com).
For more background on Los Angeles, our Kings vs Capitals preview from Oct. 20 breaks down the Kings’ previous matchup.
Los Angeles Kings Injury Report
Injury news can move the Kings vs Islanders odds before puck drop. Quinton Byfield (upper body) is day to day; Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) and Kevin Fiala (lower leg surgery) are on injured reserve; Jakub Dvorak (upper body) and Jan Jenik (undisclosed) are on the injured non-roster list (ESPN).
New York Islanders Preview: Horvat Leads a 5-3-1 Start
2025-26 recap: The Islanders went 43-34-5 (91 points), finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division and missed the playoffs. Mathew Barzal led the team with 72 points (19 goals, 53 assists), Bo Horvat scored a team-high 31 goals, and Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 selection in the 2025 draft, had 23 goals and 59 points as an 18-year-old defenseman (NHL.com). Peter DeBoer replaced Patrick Roy as coach during the season.
Offseason moves: The Islanders added forward Matias Maccelli (39 points for Toronto last season), defensemen Logan Stanley and Matthew Kessel, and goalie Semyon Varlamov returned to the NHL roster. Forward Anders Lee now plays for Utah, Maxim Shabanov for Minnesota and goalie David Rittich for New Jersey (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Horvat, Brayden Schenn, Kyle Palmieri, Simon Holmstrom, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Emil Heineman, Anthony Duclair and Victor Eklund lead the forwards. Schaefer, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Tony DeAngelo and Stanley are on defense. DeBoer is in his second season as coach.
Season so far: The Islanders are 5-3-1 through nine games, with 27 goals scored and 20 allowed. Results: a 2-1 loss at Toronto (Sept. 30), a 6-0 win over New Jersey (Oct. 3), a 5-2 loss at the Rangers (Oct. 6), a 4-1 win over Chicago (Oct. 8), a 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay (Oct. 10), a 3-2 win over Vancouver (Oct. 13), a 2-1 shootout loss at Ottawa (Oct. 15), a 4-1 win at Toronto (Oct. 17) and a 3-2 win over Anaheim (Oct. 20). Bo Horvat has 10 points (five goals, five assists), and Matthew Schaefer has eight assists (NHL.com).
Our Ducks vs Islanders preview from Oct. 20 has more on how the Islanders came into their last game.
New York Islanders Injury Report
Any late change on this list can also shift the Kings vs Islanders odds. Calum Ritchie (lower body) and Matias Maccelli (lower body) are listed as out; Alexander Romanov (knee surgery) and Mathew Barzal (knee) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
Goalie Matchup: Kuemper vs Sorokin
The goalie matchup is one of the biggest inputs in the Kings vs Islanders odds. ESPN lists Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles) and Ilya Sorokin (Islanders) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time. Here is how each team’s goalies have performed so far in 2026-27 (NHL.com).
Los Angeles Kings Goalies
Darcy Kuemper has started five games and is 1-3-1 with an .869 save percentage (113 saves on 130 shots). Most recently, he made 30 saves on 32 shots in a 5-2 win at Washington (Oct. 20). Anton Forsberg has started two games and is 0-1-1 with an .883 save percentage (53 saves on 60 shots, including relief). Most recently, he made 24 saves on 26 shots in a 4-1 loss to Boston (Oct. 17). ESPN lists Darcy Kuemper as the probable starter for Thursday (not confirmed at research time).
New York Islanders Goalies
Ilya Sorokin has started seven games and is 5-2-0 with a .934 save percentage (171 saves on 183 shots). Most recently, he made 15 saves on 17 shots in a 3-2 win over Anaheim (Oct. 20). Semyon Varlamov has started two games and is 0-1-1 with a .905 save percentage (38 saves on 42 shots). Most recently, he made 19 saves on 20 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss at Ottawa (Oct. 15). ESPN lists Ilya Sorokin as the probable starter for Thursday (not confirmed at research time).
Kings vs Islanders Odds: Key Betting Trends
Here is the season data behind the Kings vs Islanders odds. The figures below are straight season data through games before Thursday, from NHL.com, with over/under counts measured against DraftKings closing totals via ESPN.
- Kings home/road: Los Angeles is 0-3-0 at home and 1-1-2 on the road (NHL.com).
- Kings recent form: Los Angeles is 1-3-1 in its last five games, with 9 goals scored and 14 allowed in that stretch (NHL.com).
- Kings totals: Los Angeles’ games have gone over the DraftKings closing total three times and under four times in seven games with a posted total, averaging 6.3 combined goals per game (DraftKings via ESPN; NHL.com).
- Kings special teams: Los Angeles’ power play is converting 17.4 percent (24th in the NHL), and its penalty kill is at 64 percent (31st) (NHL.com).
- Kings scoring: Los Angeles has scored 17 goals and allowed 27 in 7 games (2.43 goals per game) (NHL.com).
- Islanders home/road: The Islanders are 4-1-0 at home and 1-2-1 on the road (NHL.com).
- Islanders recent form: The Islanders are 3-1-1 in their last five games, with 14 goals scored and 12 allowed in that stretch (NHL.com).
- Islanders totals: The Islanders’ games have gone over the DraftKings closing total three times and under six times in nine games with a posted total, averaging 5.2 combined goals per game (DraftKings via ESPN; NHL.com).
- Islanders special teams: The Islanders’ power play is converting 17.9 percent (23rd in the NHL), and their penalty kill is at 87.5 percent (5th) (NHL.com).
- Islanders scoring: The Islanders have scored 27 goals and allowed 20 in 9 games (3 goals per game) (NHL.com).
- Combined totals: Across both teams, games have gone over the DraftKings closing total six times and under 10 times in 16 games with a posted total, against a 5.5 total for this game (DraftKings via ESPN).
Kings vs Islanders Head-to-Head
2025-26 series: Los Angeles won both meetings last season: 5-3 at home on March 5, 2026 and 3-2 on the road on March 13 (NHL.com). The two games produced 13 total goals, an average of 6.5 per game.
2026-27 schedule: Thursday’s game is meeting one of two between the teams this season (NHL.com). Past meetings are history only; the current Kings vs Islanders odds are in the table above.
How to Watch Kings vs Islanders
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Puck drop: 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local)
Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, N.Y.
TV: ESPN+, HULU and Disney+ have the game nationally in the U.S. In Canada, Sportsnet+ carries it (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming.
Schedule spot: Los Angeles last played on Oct. 20 (1 day off before Thursday) and visits New Jersey on Oct. 24. The Islanders last played on Oct. 20 (1 day off before Thursday) and visit Dallas on Oct. 25. Neither team played on Wednesday, Oct. 21, so neither is on the second night of a back-to-back (NHL.com).
Live stats, lineups and the box score will be on the Kings vs Islanders gamecenter on NHL.com, and the official New York Islanders site posts team news and lineup notes.
For a refresher on how the moneyline, puck line and total are priced, see our NHL odds guide; the free content hub has the rest of our free daily coverage.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Kings vs Islanders
What time is Kings vs Islanders on October 22, 2026?
Puck drop is 7:30 PM ET (7:30 PM local) on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. The Kings vs Islanders odds in this preview were last updated on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.
What are the Kings vs Islanders odds and puck line?
For the Kings vs Islanders odds, DraftKings lists Los Angeles +1.5 (-270) and the Islanders -1.5 (+220) on the puck line as of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, ~1:43 PM ET. The moneyline is Los Angeles Kings +100 and New York Islanders -120, and the total is 5.5.
Where can I watch Kings vs Islanders?
ESPN+ , HULU and Disney+ have the game nationally in the U.S. In Canada, Sportsnet+ carries it (NHL.com). ESPN also lists ESPN+ streaming.
Who are the probable starting goalies for Kings vs Islanders?
ESPN lists Darcy Kuemper (Los Angeles) and Ilya Sorokin (Islanders) as probable starters, not yet confirmed at research time.