Forward Alex Turcotte skated at practice today for the Los Angeles Kings in a non-contact jersey, per team reporter Zach Dooley. Dooley also noted that he heard that Turcotte skated with the team’s healthy scratches prior to yesterday’s game against the Oilers.
Turcotte, 24, has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury he sustained against the Boston Bruins on March 23. This represents the second multi-game injury for Turcotte on the season, as he was placed on the IR in November with an upper-body injury. All told, the spark plug center has appeared in 64 games on the season and has registered eight goals and 23 points in a bottom-six role. A high pedigree draft choice (fifth overall in the 2019 draft), Turcotte is enjoying his first full season in the NHL this year. Last season, he recorded 29 points in 35 games at the AHL-level, while also appearing in 20 contests for the Kings, where we put up one goal and three assists. While the organization would no doubt benefit from his continued offensive development, he has formed a formidable depth line with wingers Tanner Jeannot and Samuel Helenius, although as Dooley points out, Jeannot remains out with his own injury. While Head Coach Jim Hiller noted Turcotte’s return to practice as a positive step in his recovery, he did caution patience in the young forward’s return.
Dooley added that veteran defenseman Drew Doughty did not practice today after not playing the final 7:46 of yesterday’s win against the Oilers. While his status will be something to monitor, Hiller did not seem overly negative about Doughty’s availability moving forward, calling the decision to sit Doughtry “precautionary.” He added that Doughty’s may not return to 100 percent health the rest of this season and that the club will look to support Doughty by way of managing his schedule and ice time. On the season, Doughty has appeared in just 28 games. But when healthy (or healthy enough to suit up), the vet has still produced offensively to the tune of four goals and 19 points. Doughty has spent his entire 17-year career with the Kings, registering 160 goals, 526 assists, and 686 points in 1,205 career games. He is third in franchise history in games played, but first amongst defensemen. He’s added 57 points in 95 career playoff games and has hoisted the Stanley Cup on two separate occasions. He and longtime teammate Anze Kopitar will look for a third cup run as the team recently clinched their spot in the playoffs.
I like Turcotte as a player, and he deserves to stay on that 4th line. I like Malott as well, but it’s one of the other. If I had to choose, I’d choose Turcotte.
Every time I’m able to watch Turcotte play (10-ish games this year?) I see a responsible C with great energy and a high enough IQ to play with star forwards. As a 5th overall pick I’m just super curious to see what he develops into. Feels like the floor is a 35-point 3C. Maybe the upside of a top 6 player and eventual move to the wing?
I believe that in the Kings’ perfect world he develops into a 2C to replace Danault; defensive responsibility with a bit of offensive upside, and forms a solid 1-2 up the middle with QB. But I also think 2C was the plan for Kempe, and they had to adjust based on his development, so we’ll see how it ends up.
If the Kings are able to lock up the C position with QB, Turc, Pinelli, Helenius once Kopi and Danault move on, they could then find their scoring punch via outside additions. I do think they’ll be major players for Marner this offseason, and as much as I like what Kuzmenko has brought and wouldn’t mind him back on the right deal, I think the Kings will aim higher than that.