A couple of Kings forwards are moving closer to the lineup, but only one is officially on the short-term track right now.
Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider that center Alex Turcotte has been updated to day-to-day, while winger Kevin Fiala remains a bit further off. Turcotte has been out for the last month with an undisclosed injury after a solid start to his season, one that had him averaging nearly 15 minutes of ice time per game.
Fiala, meanwhile, has not played since breaking his femur while representing Switzerland at the Olympics in February. He remains one of the Kings’ most important forwards, and his eventual return should give a struggling offense a needed lift, though Laviolette’s update suggests he’s still a few games away.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division, Flames winger Samuel Honzek has begun skating on his own as he continues his recovery from a lower-body injury, according to QR Calgary’s Pat Steinberg. The 21-year-old has been sidelined for almost a month.
Before the injury, his season had gotten off to a quiet start, with no points in four games. Honzek, a 2023 first-round pick, was expected to take a meaningful step in his development after holding his own in 18 games with Calgary last season.
Calgary also had a late change before its game tonight against Anaheim, announcing that defenseman Kevin Bahl was scratched with a lower-body injury. There is no timetable yet for his return.
Bahl has been a major piece on the Flames’ blue line early this season, averaging nearly 22 minutes per night, almost exactly the workload he carried a year ago. In 16 appearances, he has one goal, one assist, 16 blocks and 22 hits.
And in the Canucks’ system, a prospect is changing teams in the OHL. Peterborough announced it has acquired goaltender Aleksei Medvedev from London in exchange for three draft picks.
Medvedev, 19, was selected 47th overall in the second round of the 2025 draft. He put up a 3.26 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage in 36 games for the Knights last season, and he has the same .891 save percentage in eight games this year.
With London bringing in another goalie recently, a move was likely coming, and Peterborough should give him more playing time. Medvedev has already signed his entry-level contract and is expected to reach the professional ranks next season.
In Other News...
Flames Let A Winnable Home Game Slip Away Fast
The Flames had a home game against Anaheim in hand early, scoring first and carrying a lead through the opening period before the night started to tilt. What looked like a manageable matchup at the Saddledome turned into a frustrating one as the Ducks settled in, cleaned up their own game and began pressing Calgary into mistakes.
Turnovers became the story from there, with the Flames giving Anaheim chances that quickly turned into goals and erased the cushion they had built. Calgary also had to watch the momentum swing after a goalie change on the Ducks side, and from that point the visitors controlled the pace well enough to leave with a 5-3 win while the Flames were left to wonder how fast a winnable game got away from them. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospects Are Suddenly Giving Fans A New World Juniors Debate
The World Juniors conversation around Calgarys prospect pool got a little more interesting after Daily Faceoff put together a projected United States roster for the 2027 tournament. Ethan Wyttenbach and Cullen Potter both made the list, giving Flames fans another reason to track a pipeline that already looks unusually busy on the international stage. Wyttenbach, a 2025 fifth-round pick, has been piling up points in NCAA play and turned heads at the World Junior Summer Showcase, while Potter arrived in the organization as a first-rounder with plenty of attention already attached to his name.
Potters path has been especially notable because he is back from shoulder surgery and has started well at Michigan State, where his coach also happens to be Team USAs head coach for the tournament. With projections like this, the Flames could wind up with as many as six players in World Juniors action, which is the kind of depth chart development that tends to matter long after the summer roster debates fade. For now, though, the intriguing part is less about the final answer than how many Calgary prospects are suddenly in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Surge Feels More Real After Another Clutch Comeback Win
The Flames five-game home winning streak came to an end in a 5-3 loss to Anaheim, a result that felt like another sign the Ducks push is becoming harder to dismiss. Calgary had goals from William Stromgren, Joel Hanley and Joel Farabee, but Anaheim kept finding answers, with its power play doing damage and Cutter Gauthier continuing his scoring run to five straight games.
Jackson LaCombe also kept rolling, extending his point streak to nine games and setting a franchise record for a defenseman. For Calgary, the frustration is less about one bad night than the way Anaheim has started to stack these comeback wins, turning a promising surge into something that now looks increasingly real. [Read more 🡒]