With Alex Turcotte coming off injured reserve yesterday, the Kings had to clear a spot, and Martin Chromiak was the odd man out. Los Angeles announced that it has sent the winger back to AHL Ontario.
Chromiak’s stay in the NHL was brief. The 24-year-old was recalled about a week and a half ago, but he appeared in only two games before being reassigned.
Those two outings were his first at the NHL level. He didn’t record a point, finishing with three shots on goal and two hits while averaging a little more than 13 minutes of ice time per game.
The former 2020 fifth-round pick earned the call-up on the strength of a strong start with the Reign. Before the recall, he had put up six goals and two assists in nine games.
That followed last season’s production in Ontario, where he posted 28 goals and 28 assists in 71 games. That performance helped him land a one-year, two-way contract this offseason worth $850K in the NHL and $200K in guaranteed money.
Chromiak’s move also helps the Kings manage a roster that’s sitting very close to the cap ceiling. The assignment gives them enough space to potentially add another player if more injuries pop up.
For now, they have one open roster spot, though that won’t last long if veterans Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Fiala are able to return. When both wingers are ready, the Kings will need to clear one more spot.
In Other News...
Darcy Kuempers November Tribute Will Mean A Lot To Kings Fans
Darcy Kuemper is using November to turn his mask into something bigger than hockey. The Kings goaltender has been wearing a Hockey Fights Cancer-themed design throughout the month, a reminder that the leagues annual campaign still carries real weight for players and fans who have watched loved ones battle the disease.
The tribute has a personal edge, too, with purple ribbons and doves built into the artwork to symbolize hope. Kuemper has spoken about how important the cause is and how many people around him have their own cancer connections, which is why this kind of gesture resonates beyond the crease and should mean a lot to Kings fans when the month wraps up. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suffer Brutal Momentum Swing In Frustrating Loss To Penguins
The Kings trip to Pittsburgh had the feel of a chance to steady things after a choppy stretch, but it turned into another frustrating night in a 5-2 loss. Corey Perry and Alex Laferriere provided the offense for Los Angeles, yet the Penguins kept finding answers, with Evgeni Malkin setting up three goals and Sergei Murashov turning aside 26 shots as Pittsburgh snapped its four-game skid.
Los Angeles has now dropped two of its last three, and the margin in this one felt even thinner for stretches than the final score suggested. A potential tying moment was taken off the board after a video review went Pittsburghs way, a swing that left the Kings chasing the game again and trying to regroup from a result that never quite broke their way. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Let A Winnable Game Slip Away Against Pittsburgh
The Kings had the kind of night that usually ends differently when a team is controlling the flow but not the finish. They generated more shots on goal and delivered more hits than Pittsburgh, yet the scoreboard told a harsher story in a 5-2 loss. For long stretches, Los Angeles looked like the side doing enough to tilt the game its way, but the Penguins were the ones who made the early chances count and forced the Kings to chase.
Los Angeles never found a clean enough offensive response, and the costly moments came when turnovers turned into Pittsburgh opportunities. Even with the territorial edge, the Kings could not turn pressure into enough goals to change the tone of the game. It was the sort of defeat that leaves a team with more questions than comfort, because the underlying effort was there, but the result still slipped away. [Read more 🡒]