I think we’ve seen too often the story of a young player coming from the AHL, coming in on the fourth line and not making an impact.
That’s not every story.
Some players have games that translate to a top-six role despite playing at a higher position in the AHL. I’m looking at Andre Lee, who scored 26 goals for the Ontario Reigns last season, but could find a lesser role with the Kings. Taylor Ward has scored at a 28-goal pace in the AHL over the past two seasons, but has had lower success in the NHL.
I don’t think Martin Chromiak is one of those players. He is a player with speed, skill and touch. At every level where he’s succeeded, it’s been when he’s been allowed and encouraged to play to his strengths. Chromiak played lower at times in Ontario and there was some production, but he really thrived when playing in a role more suited to his game.
So when the Kings learned on Saturday morning that Adrian Kempe would miss the day’s game, it was Chromiak who was selected to play in his NHL debut. Often in situations like this before, we’ve seen players come up through the ranks and a young player behind. Chromiak was traded 1-for-1 yesterday, skating on the top forward line with Artemi Panarin and Alex Laferriere. On the power play, the Kings actually moved the puck around a bit to lock down Chromiak, and Panarin played more on the right side of the ice, allowing Chromiak to be a shooting threat in his preferred left circle.
I think that’s something that’s different with Peter Laviolette and the current coaching staff. Chromiak was put in a spot where his skills could flourish when he was on the field. That was the plan, and something Laviolette has tried to do with similar players in the past.
“When you recall people from the American Hockey League, my mindset is to try to put them in a position to succeed and then make adjustments from there,” Laviolette said. “I think there’s either positives to come from that, or maybe you have to look for something else, but he’s a guy who brings speed, he brings skill, he brings the ability to score goals. So we’re trying to lock him in a position where he can take advantage of that.”
It’s not every day that a player can say that the other winger on his line was Artemi Panarin in his NHL debut.
Not a bad option to introduce to the league.
Chromiak was certainly primed for success and I thought he looked the part in his first game. He had perhaps Los Angeles’ best chance of the first period on a quick miss with Alex Laferriere that was blocked by Buffalo goaltender Uka-Pekka Lukkonen. Later in the game, he took a pass from quarterback Brandt Clark and used his speed to set up a partial fumble that was only thwarted by an incredible defensive play on the recovery by quarterback Owen Zellweger. He had a decent second round look on the one-timer on the power play as well.
Overall, Chromiak finished with eight shot attempts and five scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, although only the power play opportunity was recorded as a shot on goal. Perhaps just as importantly, as a rookie, not only did he not slow down Panarini and LaFerriere, but he seemed to help that lineup have a pretty dangerous night.
The trio combined for 11:34 5-on-5 time, according to Natural Stat Trick, and had a 23-12 edge in shot attempts. The scoring chances were 15-8 in their favor. Any line that Panarin runs, especially the way LaFerriere is playing right now, will likely have his share of offensive linemen. Still, it was nice to see how Chromiak was able to lock on seamlessly.
“He brought speed to the lineup and I thought that line was really good, they created a lot of shots on net, they created a lot of offensive zone time,” Laviolette said after the game. “He brings speed, he’s got skill, he’s got a chance to score goals. I thought he had opportunities where he could have scored two or three goals tonight. I thought it was a good debut for him. I thought the line created a lot tonight.”
Welcome to the @NHL!!! https://t.co/SUa3tBH1wi
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 31, 2026
Perhaps what made the debut easy for Chromiak is that he didn’t really have that much time to think about it.
Often players find out a day in advance and that means you have to sit with that information for 24 hours. You have to try and sleep knowing that the next day is going to be the moment you’ve been waiting for all your life. It’s a tough job.
The Kings gave Chromiak that he should be ready, and Kempe’s status was not confirmed after missing Friday’s practice. He didn’t know for sure, though, until Saturday morning when he got the call. He felt that by bringing the information so close to the game, he didn’t have time to worry about it. He just went out there and played.
“I think so, I slept pretty well and didn’t really think about it,” he said after the game. “When they called me in the morning, it was so close to the game, so I didn’t even get nervous.”
According to Chromiak, the situation in which he found himself made everything easier.
I think that’s a big part of why Laviolette feels the way she does. Not every player can succeed as a fourth lineman. Whether or not Chromiak can pull it off remains to be seen. He never acted in that role. But we’ve seen it before, when players who have an offensive role as their NHL upside are put in situations where they’re not likely to be successful. And when they didn’t, they were scratched or sent to AHL.
Sometimes, that’s the role available. If someone on the fourth line were to pan out, the Kings might have no choice but to play Chromiak there. They could have picked another player who is better equipped to play there. Maybe, they’d mix things up to accommodate Chromiak. Kempe is just day-to-day, so his participation on Wednesday seems like it should be a legitimate option. So that niche may not be available for Chromiak. If not, it will be interesting to see what the Kings do. He’ll either have to find a way to bring his game elsewhere in the lineup, or maybe end up on the outside. Maybe the Kings will make further changes. It remains to be seen.
That place was available yesterday. Chromiak was given a chance to play that spot, and it gave him the confidence to use a spot that seems to highlight his skills.
“I feel the best when I can play in the attack and be in the offensive zone,” Khromiak said. “I was very happy and just tried to stick to my game. I was happy that the coaches gave me two very attacking and great players, I think they helped me all night. I’m just thankful.”
Often, after such debuts, the story is about living the dream. It is about the moment. It’s about realizing something a player has worked for his whole life. I don’t want to ignore those things with Chromiak because they are all true. It meant a lot to him to fulfill his dream. It was emotional to be able to call his parents this morning and tell them he’ll be playing an NHL game later. It was nice to have her newbie in her arms.
I don’t think that’s the main story here, and it’s a compliment to one of the stronger NHL debuts in a while in Los Angeles. The coaching staff deserves credit for setting the player up for success, and Chromiak deserves credit for making the most of it. The Kings were on the wrong side of a 3-2 deficit, and Chromiak was among the players who had opportunities to turn the game around. When was the last time you saw a forward play 17:31 in his NHL debut? When was the last time 89 percent of those minutes came alongside Panarin? It’s not every day.
It’s important that he played as well as he did, turning some heads while doing so. Chromiak, as advertised on night one, was a dynamic forward in the AHL who got a chance to try and be that player in the NHL as well. It wasn’t perfect, but it was impressive. Whether it’s Wednesday or maybe later, if there are some opportunities in the lineup, I think he’s done well enough to get another look.
One day, when he would be the story in one way or another, regardless, it was good for him to make that story about his play, not just that he was playing.
