LA Kings Next Coach Odds: D.J. Smith Leads, Peter DeBoer Tops Outside Market

By Christopher Boan

Mar 2nd, 2026 12:57 PM EDT

Former Stars coach Peter DeBoer could be in the mix for the Kings job (USATODAY)

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The LA Kings have made a bench change, but not a permanent one. After firing Jim Hiller on March 1, the club elevated D.J. Smith to interim head coach for the remainder of the season, which means the bigger question now is who will be behind the bench long-term.

Smith has the inside track simply because he is already in the room and had drawn outside head-coaching interest last year, but veteran names like Peter DeBoer could quickly enter the picture once the offseason begins. With that in mind, kobe.bookies.com broke down our hypothetical next coach odds for Los Angeles’ permanent hire.

Odds For Next LA Kings Coach

Odds provided by kobe.bookies.com and not offered at most US sports betting sites.

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Who Will Be The Next L.A. Kings Head Coach? A Look At The Candidates

Overall, we’re giving Smith the inside track to get the job on a full time basis (as his predecessor did in 2023-24), with the former Ottawa Senators head coach holding +225 odds of getting his second NHL head coaching job.

Previously, Smith went 131-154-32 with the Senators from 2019-20 to 2023-24, failing to make the postseason during his tenure with two sixth place and three seventh place finishes overall.

Given how tight the race for one of the two wild card spots in the Western Conference is, with the Kings sitting three points back of the Seattle Kraken with 23 games to play, it could be Smith’s time to shine in Tinseltown.

Should he falter, however, there’s nothing saying that Kings’ GM Ken Holland won’t look for a new solution behind the bench, with NHL coaching vets like Peter DeBoer (+350), John Tortorella (+900) and Gerard Gallant (+1200) on our next coach list, along with former Kings defenseman and current team scout Matt Greene at +700.

Related: Robert Thomas Next Team Odds.

What To Know About The Kings Coaching Candidates

DeBoer has made the rounds in the NHL, coaching the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars, winning two conference championships (one with the Devils in 2011-12 and another with the Sharks in 2015-16).

Overall, the 57-year-old has 18 years of NHL head coaching experience, while Tortorella has 23 years of experience (and a Stanley Cup title with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04) and Gallant has 11 years of experience and a Western Conference championship with the Golden Knights during his time as a head coach in the league.

Greene spent nine years of his 615-game NHL career with the Kings, guiding the team’s blue line crew from 2008-09 through 2016-17 and helping guide the team to a pair of Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014.

At the end of the day, the Kings’ immediate future is in the hands of team leadership, with L.A.’s current interim head coach having a golden opportunity to land the job on a full time basis, while any late season stumbles could open the door for a new voice behind the bench in the City of Angels.

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