The Kings announced that captain Anže Kopitar has been listed out week-to-week with a foot injury. There’s no IR placement for him yet, but there could be one coming soon to give L.A. a roster spot as they’re down to 12 healthy forwards.
More to come…
4:00 p.m.: Already in contention for the shortest emergency recall of the year, the Kings announced they’ve loaned Portillo back to AHL Ontario after reacquiring Copley from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
1:04 p.m.: The Kings announced they’ve recalled goalie Erik Portillo from AHL Ontario under emergency conditions. As he’s an emergency call-up, the Kings don’t have to open a roster spot for him – although they wouldn’t have had to anyway with an existing opening.
L.A.’s next game is tomorrow against the Penguins. Neither of their two rostered goalies, Anton Forsberg or Darcy Kuemper, is carrying an injury designation. That’s likely to change in the next 24 hours, even if it’s just downgrading one of them to questionable. Kuemper is going to be absent from today’s practice, according to the team’s Zach Dooley.
Kuemper has shouldered the bulk of starts thus far, as expected, getting three of their four games. While the veteran had a resurgent 2024-25 campaign that made him a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time, he hasn’t kept up that momentum through the first several days of 2025-26. He’s yet to hit a .900 SV% in a single outing and has a .868 SV% and 3.35 GAA through his three starts, recording a 0-2-1 record. His -2.0 goals saved above expected are 50th out of 57 goalies to suit up so far this year, according to MoneyPuck. Forsberg, signed to a two-year, $4.5MM deal in free agency last summer to replace David Rittich as Kuemper’s backup, hasn’t been any better. He allowed five goals on 35 shots in his lone start last week against the Golden Knights, although it resulted in L.A.’s only win of the season – a 6-5 shootout victory.
Meanwhile, Portillo could now be in line to at least dress for a game. The 25-year-old Swede is the Kings’ unchallenged No. 3 for the moment, particularly after losing Pheonix Copley on waivers to the Lightning a couple of weeks ago. The former University of Michigan standout made his first NHL start early last season, only allowing one goal on 29 shots (.966 SV%) for a 2-1 win over the Ducks.
Unfortunately, his recent minor-league body of work hasn’t been nearly as impressive. After recording a .918 SV% in 39 appearances as a rookie for Ontario in 2023-24, he sputtered to the tune of a .889 mark with a 2.82 GAA and 15-5-4 record in 24 appearances last year. In two showings for the Reign in 2025-26, he has a 3.50 GAA, .854 SV%, and a 1-0-1 record.
He’ll be eligible to play in up to nine games before the Kings must return him to Ontario or convert his recall into a standard one. They’re hoping they aren’t faced with that choice and can return him hastily.
The Los Angeles Kings have brought in a familiar face to serve as the team’s third-string netminder. After losing him on the waiver wire a few weeks ago, the Kings announced they’ve traded for netminder Pheonix Copley from the Tampa Bay Lightning for future considerations.
Further, despite recalling him on an emergency basis only a few hours ago, the Kings also shared that they’ve loaned Erik Portillo back to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Assuming he can make it to Los Angeles before tomorrow night, Copley is expected to serve as the Kings’ backup tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins behind Anton Forsberg.
The reasoning behind the trade is simple. The team’s Editorial Content Manager, Zach Dooley, reported earlier that Darcy Kuemper and Anže Kopitar are dealing with lower-body injuries. While Kopitar has been deemed ’questionable’, Kuemper has already been ruled out for tomorrow night’s contest.
Copley’s status as a veteran and familiarity with the organization likely played a big part in the Kings reacquiring him from the Lightning. Over the last three years, starting as a backup and transitioning to a third-string role, Copley had managed a 28-7-5 record for Los Angeles with a .897 SV% and 2.75 GAA. While playing for AHL Ontario last season, the 33-year-old netminder appeared in 42 contests, earning a 24-17-1 record with a .904 SV% and 2.49 GAA.
Although he was rostered on the Lightning to start the year, he had yet to appear in a game for them. Andrei Vasilevskiy has gotten off to a disappointing start to the campaign, but the team relied on Jonas Johansson as the next man up instead.
The Edmonton Oilers, who were hit by the injury bug out of the gate, have a number of players expected back soon. Mark Spector of Sportsnet shared today that Head Coach Kris Knoblauch “hopes” that Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula are set to return this weekend, Jake Walman next Thursday, and finally, Zach Hyman’s November 1st estimated return is still on track.
Hyman originally suffered a very untimely major wrist injury in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, newcomer Andrew Mangiapane is off to a hot start with 2 goals, in the coveted seat of Connor McDavid’s wing. It will be interesting to see how the Oil work Hyman back into the lineup, along with the recent addition of Jack Roslovic.
Walman and Janmark have both been out with undisclosed injuries not thought to be serious. Regula has appeared in both of the Oilers’ games to start the season, but is out tonight with yet another undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old was claimed off waivers from Boston last year, offering imposing size and a right handed shot, filling a bottom-pair role perhaps missed by the team since the departure of Vincent Desharnais.
Elsewhere across the division:
With training camps now almost upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective. Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled. Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason. Next up is a look at the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings made a major shuffle in this front office, opting to part ways with general manager Rob Blake mutually in favor of former Detroit GM Ken Holland. It was an interesting direction for the Kings to take, but they were clearly drawn to Holland’s championship pedigree and the decades of experience he brings to the position. The Kings are hoping that Holland can provide more innovative roster construction to a team that has been bounced from the playoffs in the first round by the Edmonton Oilers in four consecutive seasons. Whether or not Holland can do that remains to be seen, but some of his roster decisions this summer raised eyebrows.
1-31 – D Henry Brzustewicz, London (OHL)
2-59 – F Vojtěch Čihař, HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia Extraliga)
3-88 – F Kristian Epperson, Saginaw (OHL)
4-120 – D Caeden Herrington, Lincoln (USHL)
4-125 – F Jimmy Lombardi, Flint (OHL)
5-152- G Petteri Rimpinen, Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)
6-184 – F Jan Chovan, Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
7-196 – F Brendan McMorrow, Waterloo (USHL)
7-216 – D Will Sharpe, Kelowna (WHL)
The Kings used a first-round pick on a right-shot defenseman, which is probably what they should be doing with their top picks. Brzustewicz is a mobile, two-way defender who plays a cautious, risk-averse game. He avoids unnecessary chances but jumps into the rush when it’s right. The downside of being so careful is that it can cause poor decisions under pressure, something Brzustewicz needs to improve—especially when opposing forwards apply pressure on the forecheck. He can work on this back in London this season, and if he adds size, it should boost his confidence when taking hits to make plays.
Čihař does a lot of good things away from the puck, using his speed and footwork to pivot quickly and engage in the forecheck. He won’t shy away from the front of the opposition’s net and is a tough player to play against along the wall. His offense is a bit raw right now, but he does display good hockey sense, and if his playmaking and passing improve, he could become a middle-six forward in the NHL.
Epperson could become a valuable pick after recording 27 goals and 53 assists in 58 OHL games last season. He works hard and is tenacious on the forecheck, as well as in transition. Epperson is the perfect complement to high-end skill players, as he can force turnovers and create trouble in the offensive zone. This worked well last season with the 2025 second overall pick, Michael Misa. If he keeps up the same work ethic, he could become a regular on the Kings’ bottom six.
Fourth-round pick Herrington is another right-shot defenseman with offensive upside. He is aggressive on the rush and eager to contribute to the attack. Although there are concerns about his defensive game, with good coaching and guidance, Herrington could develop into an offensive NHL defenseman. This type of player is worth taking a chance on late in the draft because his natural offensive skills can be improved through coaching, and his weaknesses can hopefully be addressed.
F Joel Armia (two years, $5MM)
D Cody Ceci (four years, $18MM)
F Martin Chromiak (one year, $775K)*
G Pheonix Copley (one year, $775K)
D Brian Dumoulin (three years, $12MM)
G Anton Forsberg (two years, $4.5MM)
F Corey Perry (one year, $2MM)
Ken Holland was busy during the first few days of free agency, signing several depth veterans and using up cap space in the process. The decisions to sign Dumoulin and Ceci drew significant criticism, with many pointing out the length and cost of contracts for two veterans who are likely to be the Kings’ bottom pairing this season. The issue for Los Angeles, and probably the reason for signing players like Dumoulin and Ceci, is that they had gaps to fill in their defense, and their depth problems (especially on the left side) could force Dumoulin to log top-four minutes. However, Ceci should be on the third pairing if everyone stays healthy, playing behind Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke.
Dumoulin remains a capable player, but at 34 years old, he’s not suited for top four minutes. He has two Stanley Cups to his name and played significant minutes on those Pittsburgh teams, but that was nearly a decade ago, and Dumoulin hasn’t been that defenseman since 2020. Over the past five years, Dumoulin has struggled with possession metrics as his even-strength play has fluctuated. Once, he had the skating ability to consistently maintain reasonable gap control and break away from forecheckers to make strong first passes. Still, as he’s slowed down, both skills have become less impactful. Dumoulin can still disrupt plays and keep the puck out of dangerous areas, but he often takes penalties trying to do so, which wasn’t an issue when he was quicker on his feet.
The Ceci signing remains confusing and might be a move Holland regrets quickly. Ceci has many tools that make him an interesting player and has always managed to earn his coaches’ trust, despite inconsistent results. He isn’t as bad as he’s often accused of being, but he’s not a top-four NHL defenseman either, and he’ll be paid like one until he’s 35. Ceci’s performance varies significantly from year to year; in many seasons, his results indicate he’s a below-replacement player. In other seasons, when he’s sheltered, he posts good results (for example, 2020-21 with Pittsburgh), but at $4.5MM a season, you expect some consistency. Ceci isn’t that far removed from one of the best seasons of his career, but his last three playoff runs (two with Edmonton and one with Dallas) have been horrendous and have led to him being a healthy scratch at times. Not ideal for a player being paid the way he is.
Moving on to the forwards, the Kings made two depth signings for Armia and Perry. Perry guarantees a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals; at least, that’s what recent history suggests. Perry has appeared in five finals over the past six years with four different teams, consistently proving himself as a warrior come playoff time. The 40-year-old recorded 19 goals and 11 assists in 81 regular-season games last year, then exploded for 10 goals and four assists in 22 playoff games. Perry should continue to be a reliable agitator come playoff time, which could be interesting if the Kings face the Oilers for a fifth straight playoff.
Armia won’t score much in Los Angeles, having topped 30 points only once in his NHL career. The 32-year-old should reach around 25 points and will contribute on the penalty kill. He isn’t afraid to engage physically and should boost the Kings’ forecheck while remaining defensively aware. Armia is a reliable signing for the Los Angeles team. It should handle some of the Kings’ more challenging defensive duties, which could be beneficial against a potent offensive team like the Oilers.
F Alex Laferriere (three years, $12.3MM)
There might not be a player in the NHL who enjoys skating the puck more in transition than Laferriere. He made significant progress last year, both physically and mentally, shaking off scouts’ concerns about his skating and establishing himself as a talented playmaker with good speed. Although there were doubts about his skating style being awkward, after recording 19 goals and 23 assists in 77 games last season, Laferriere is proving his critics wrong. The Chatham, New Jersey native is a strong forechecker and has become more responsible defensively over the past year. This should help him start the season in the top six and likely also on the Kings’ second power play unit.
D Vladislav Gavrikov (signed with New York, seven years $49MM)
F Tanner Jeannot (signed with Boston, five years $17MM)
D Caleb Jones (signed with Pittsburgh, two years $1.8MM)
G David Rittich (signed with New York Islanders, one year $1MM)
D Jordan Spence (traded to Ottawa)
F Jack Studnicka (signed with Florida, one year $775K)*
F Samuel Fagemo (signed with Winnipeg, one year $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
The Kings’ signing of Ceci and Dumoulin was essential after Spence was traded and Gavrikov left via free agency. The loss of Gavrikov will significantly affect the Kings, as it forces Mikey Anderson into the top pairing and disrupts the depth on the left side, likely pushing Dumoulin into the top four. Gavrikov’s departure and Dumoulin’s signing effectively amount to a swap from the Kings’ perspective—and it’s not a particularly good one. While both play a straightforward stay-at-home game, Gavrikov can handle shutdown minutes at the top pairing, whereas Dumoulin is better suited for third-pairing roles. The 29-year-old Gavrikov doesn’t hit much or do much with the puck, but he can produce around 30 points and is very disruptive defensively, especially at the blue line, where he can disrupt transition plays and zone entries. The Kings will feel Gavrikov’s absence deeply.
The Spence trade to Ottawa is one that Holland might want to revisit someday. While it was hard to see him playing third-pairing minutes again next year, it was probably the best move for Spence, who was going to earn just $1.5MM this year—significantly less than new third-pairing defender Ceci. The Kings protected Spence last year, and his defensive metrics were excellent during those minutes, as he led all Los Angeles defensemen in goal share and xGoal share. However, he was behind Brandt Clarke on the depth chart and thus seen as expendable, even though the trade return was underwhelming.
The Kings currently have just under $1.9MM available in cap space with one roster spot open (according to PuckPedia). If they add an entry-level contract (ELC) or a league minimum deal to reach 23 players, it will leave them with approximately $1MM in cap space. This should be enough of a buffer to handle injuries, but it won’t leave much room if they want to make a mid-season acquisition.
In the long run, the Kings have $33.725MM available in cap space for next summer (assuming no trades or signings before then), with 15 players already signed. That might seem like a sizable amount, but it doesn’t include a potential replacement for Anze Kopitar or an extension for Adrian Kempe, which AFP Analytics estimates to be around $9.2MM mark per season. The Kings will also need to decide on Clarke’s future, who is projected for a long-term deal around $7MM or a bridge deal around $3.5MM.
Is the older defense actually better?
Moving on from Gavrikov and Spence to Dumoulin and Ceci makes the Kings’ defense older and slower, which isn’t ideal when many teams in the Western Conference prioritize speed. It remains to be seen if the Kings are a better team than they were last season, but on paper, it’s hard to say they are. Their defense definitely isn’t better, and while they didn’t make wholesale changes on the backend, the moves they did make could reveal some flaws in their lineup.
Have the Kings already passed their window of contention?
A few years ago, the Kings were a team on the rise, seeming poised to become a force in the Western Conference for years to come. However, some poor trades and unfortunate player development have caused them to fall behind Edmonton, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Colorado. It’s possible the Kings could still have some deep playoff runs, but given the strength of their competition and the flaws in the roster, they might never make a significant playoff push with this group.
How hot is Jim Hiller’s seat?
Hiller’s seat was likely warm when the Kings and general manager Rob Blake mutually agreed to part ways. As this season kicks off, the pressure is expected to intensify. Hiller is only in his second full season as the Kings’ bench boss, but traditionally, general managers prefer to hire their own coaches, and Ken Holland has inherited Hiller. If the Kings start slowly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make a change for a new head coach.
Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Kings have placed defenseman Kyle Burroughs on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He sustained the injury after blocking a shot in Los Angeles’ October 1st preseason win over the Utah Mammoth. Despite being forced to miss the first two weeks of the season to an IR placement, Burroughs has already returned to skating per Kings’ content manager Zach Dooley. That’s positive news as the 30-year-old, Vancouver-native looks to push into his sixth NHL season.
Burroughs began his pro career in the New York Islanders system. He was originally drafted in the seventh-round of the 2013 NHL Draft, but didn’t turn pro full-time until the 2015-16 season. After a brief start in the minors, Burroughs climbed to an everyday role with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He held onto the team’s enforcer role through the next five seasons, ultimately recording 82 points and 419 penalty minutes in 313 games with the club. Despite that, Burroughs didn’t make his NHL debut until he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2020. He debuted with the team – playing five games – in the same season, then played through his full rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021.
Burroughs has clung to a seventh-defender role in the three seasons since his rookie year. He played roughly half of Vancouver’s 2021 and 2022 seasons, as well as 33 games of L.A.’s 2024-25 season. The only full year of Burroughs career came with the San Jose Sharks in 2023-24, when he posted eight points and 71 penalty minutes in 73 games. He’s a depth-chart bruiser, who could find a better rut with the Kings this year after the team lost Andreas Englund to the Nashville Predators in February. Englund had 11 points and 93 penalty minutes in 93 games with the Kings between 2023 and 2025.
While Kings forward Adrian Kempe made it known that his desire was to get a contract extension in place before the start of the season, it’s not looking like it will happen. Part of the reason for that might be the comparable his camp is using. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (video link) that Toronto’s William Nylander is believed to be one of the comparables that Kempe’s camp is using. Nylander is in the second season of an eight-year, $92MM contract and has reached the 80-point mark in four straight years, including a 97-point effort in 2023-24. Meanwhile, Kempe has yet to reach that plateau although he has topped 70 the last two seasons. The difference, of course, is the much different salary cap environment now compared to when Nylander’s deal was signed but it’s not surprising that Los Angeles GM Ken Holland would be resistant to make an offer around that price point.
The Buffalo Sabres are once again uncertain about the short-term health of their starting goaltender, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The team pulled Luukkonen after just one period of action in Wednesday night’s preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After the game, head coach Lindy Ruff said that Luukkonen was still feeling some discomfort with the lower-body injury he recently returned from, per Michael Aguello of The Hockey News.
Luukkonen returned to Buffalo’s practices last week, after missing the start of training camp due to a late-summer injury. He described his injury as a, “flare up” and told reporters that he had no concerns with being ready for opening night. One week later, it appears Luukkonen is still in need of a bit more conditioning. He’ll be headed for a major workload when he does reach full health. Luukkonen played at least 50 games in each of the last two seasons. He’s posted a cumulative .899 save percentage in 109 games since taking the reigns as Buffalo’s starter. The goal will be to push that average above .900 with a return to the starter’s crease this season. First, he’ll need to ease himself back into the role. Should Luukkonen be unavailable for opening night, the Sabres will turn towards Alexandar Georgiev, who posted a .875 Sv% in 49 games last season.
Other notes from around the league:
There are 22 new names on the waiver wire today, PuckPedia reports. Everyone on the wire yesterday passed through aside from goaltender Pheonix Copley, who’s heading to the Lightning from the Kings.
Calgary Flames
F Rory Kerins
G Ivan Prosvetov
D Ilya Solovyov
Columbus Blue Jackets
Edmonton Oilers
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Sebastian Aho
F Danton Heinen
D Philip Kemp
F Joona Koppanen
G Filip Larsson
F Valtteri Puustinen
Seattle Kraken
F Ben Meyers
F Mitchell Stephens
Utah Mammoth
F Ben McCartney
D Scott Perunovich
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
D Dylan Coghlan
F Tanner Laczynski
F Raphael Lavoie
D Jaycob Megna
F Cole Schwindt
Heinen, Kerins, and Kravtsov jump out as the most notable skaters from the group. Heinen is one of the first veteran surprises to reach the wire this fall. The pending UFA costs $2.25MM against the cap and was a speculative trade candidate as the rebuilding Penguins look to shed their veterans on expiring deals. If he clears, he’ll still count for $1.1MM against Pittsburgh’s cap. It’s not as if he’s coming off a catastrophic 2024-25 season. He made 79 appearances split between the Canucks and Penguins, recording a 9-20–29 scoring line while averaging 13:27 per game. Those are all a few ticks below his career averages, but still serviceable bottom-six production for a reasonable price. He may not fit into the Penguins’ plans, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him claimed despite his cap impact.
Kerins has been a high-ceiling name in the Flames’ system for the past couple of years with quite strong AHL showings. He got his first taste of NHL action last year in a five-game call-up, looking like he belonged with four assists and a +3 rating while averaging 12:14 per game. The 5’10” pivot isn’t a natural fit in a fourth-line role, though, and Calgary doesn’t have an open spot for him in its top nine. He’s a pending RFA without arbitration rights on a two-way deal with a league minimum cap hit – prime conditions for a claim – and had 33 goals and 61 points in 63 AHL games last year.
Kravtsov not making it to the final couple of days of camp is a surprise. Selected No. 9 overall in 2018, he was on the Canucks’ reserve list after he departed the NHL to return to Russia in 2023. He had a great showing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Kontinental Hockey League last year, leading the team with 27 goals in 66 games while adding 31 assists for 58 points. That was enough to generate mutual interest between the Canucks and Kravtsov to resume their relationship, and he signed a one-year, two-way deal in August. He’s due to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t hit 16 NHL games this year.
As for goalie-needy teams, Prosvetov might warrant some consideration after being passed over for Calgary’s backup job in favor of Devin Cooley. The 26-year-old has 24 NHL starts under his belt and was excellent in the KHL last year, managing a .920 SV% and 2.32 GAA in 38 games for CSKA Moscow.