The Los Angeles Kings have continued their near-daily transaction train, this time recalling Rasmus Kupari and Jordan Spence from the AHL. There is a bit of a surprise among today’s moves, though, as Viktor Arvidsson has been designated as a non-roster player. That means he is away from the team for some undisclosed reason, after playing the last two nights.
With Arvidsson and Drew Doughty unavailable, the team will turn to Kupari and Spence, two young players still trying to establish themselves as full-time players in the NHL. Through 16 games this season, Kupari has registered five points while averaging just over 11 minutes a night. The 22-year-old center has been great for the Ontario Reign, but can’t seem to work his way into more minutes with the Kings.
Spence, meanwhile, has been arguably Ontario’s best player so far, racking up 21 points in 22 games and playing big minutes in all situations. The 21-year-old defenseman saw 24 games with the Kings last year in his first season of professional hockey but hasn’t cracked the lineup this time around. With Doughty out, Sean Durzi carried the load last night, playing more than 23 minutes against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sean Walker took over powerplay duties, a role that Spence could potentially slide into if he gets a chance.
There is no word yet on how long Arvidsson will be away from the team.