The Los Angeles Kings have made a change to their roster prior to their game tonight against Philadelphia, placing Alec Martinez on injured reserve and recalling Paul LaDue from Ontario. Martinez has a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
LaDue made his debut last season with the Kings after a very short period in the AHL, and showed off the strong two-way game he had at the University of North Dakota. A sixth-round pick, LaDue became an integral part of the Fighting Hawks, helping them to a National Championship in 2016 and wearing an alternate captain’s “A” for his final season. In 22 games for the Kings last year he recorded eight assists, and is still looking for his first goal at this level.
While starting the season without Martinez is not ideal for the Kings, LaDue does offer a pretty solid depth option for the team. It’s likely that he’ll sit out tonight’s game as the seventh defenseman, but there is a chance he could work his way into the lineup quickly. As a waivers-exempt player though, this could be the first of a long list of transactions for him this season.