The Kings are heading into the season with one less body than expected, and a little roster maneuvering still hanging in the air.
After preseason wrapped up, Los Angeles began trimming its camp roster on Saturday, sending Kenny Connors and Jared Wright to AHL Ontario. Both players looked capable of handling NHL minutes eventually, but neither had a clean path to a regular spot, so the Reign made more sense than sitting as extra forwards in the press box.
That seemed to settle things for a moment. Then Joel Edmundson was ruled day-to-day by coach Peter Laviolette, which forced a quick adjustment on the blue line and brought Kirill Kirsanov back up from Ontario for Saturday’s matinee against the Ducks. It was a short stay for Kirsanov, who had just been assigned down on Friday.
“I think [Joel] is going to be fine,” Laviolette shared. “Kirsanov is a young player, he played well in camp.
I think he’s gotten better with every opportunity to play; a good showing. He elevated a little bit from last game, so he kind of worked his way up [the depth chart] to get a game in on the recall when we needed a defenseman.”
Now, though, several sources say Kirsanov is on his way back to AHL Ontario.
The more surprising part is what appears to be happening in goal. Ken Holland had considered carrying three goaltenders to open the year instead of the usual two, but the latest indication is that Erik Portillo will be sent to the Reign. If that’s the path the Kings take, they’ll open with 22 active players rather than 23.
Kevin Fiala’s situation also remains on the books. He is expected to start the season on injured reserve, and his salary still counts against the cap. There’s no apparent need to move him to long-term injured reserve, either, since the Kings have enough cap space to bring up an extra forward or defenseman if the need comes up.
Even with Kirsanov headed back down, Edmundson’s availability for Opening Night in Colorado on Wednesday still isn’t locked in. Some of this could simply be paperwork. Every team has to submit a cap-compliant roster to the league office by Monday afternoon, but clubs can still recall players afterward if needed.
That means Tuesday will be worth watching before the Kings leave Southern California for Denver. If Edmundson can’t go, the Kings may still not need a recall, since Erik Gustafsson could be an option to step in. That wasn’t available on Saturday because Gustafsson had already played the maximum of two preseason games, and with more than 500 NHL games on his resume, he was subject to the veteran player rule.
Portillo’s situation has been odd throughout camp. He never really had a clear landing spot with either the Kings or Ontario, since both teams are expected to lean on two goalies for most of their starts. He also didn’t appear in a preseason game, which leaves him with one final chance for game action before the season begins: tonight in Coachella, where Ontario plays its last exhibition game ahead of next weekend’s AHL season opener.
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Kenny Connors helped force extra time with a late equalizer, and then Taylor Ward delivered the only shootout goal of the night. Erik Portillo did the rest, turning aside every Coachella Valley attempt in the skills competition after making 18 saves in regulation, a strong all-around effort that gave Ontario a result worth remembering. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger question is not simply who takes the ice, but what kind of Kings team shows up once the puck drops. There is still uncertainty around how the club will handle the center position after Anze Kopitars retirement, and how much the new coaching staff will reshape a defensive identity that has long defined the franchise. Those answers will not come all at once, but the opener should offer the first real clue about the direction this version of the Kings wants to take. [Read more 🡒]