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Tobias Bjornfot

Los Angeles Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot

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It is not yet a foregone conclusion that the Los Angeles Kings will finish third in the Pacific Division, as the red-hot Seattle Kraken are nipping at their heels. The Kings will need to end their losing streak and put up some points over the last two games of the season, starting tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.

Ahead of the game, the team has recalled Tobias Bjornfot from the AHL, giving them another defense option. The young defenseman has been up and down several times over the last few weeks and recently played a season-high 20:22 in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

After turning 22 a few days ago, it’s starting to get to the point where Bjornfot will be expected to make the NHL team full-time. Since debuting as an 18-year-old in 2019, he’s moved in and out of the lineup, suiting up 116 times across parts of four seasons.

This year he has just ten appearances with the Kings, playing most of the season with the Ontario Reign. Given that his waiver-exempt status will expire before the 2023-24 campaign begins, Bjornfot must make an impression and secure his place soon. These last few games, and any potential playoff action he receives, will be an excellent test for the 2019 first-round pick.

Los Angeles Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot On Emergency Basis

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The Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Tobias Bjornfot from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis.

This recall was likely necessitated by an injury sustained by top-pairing defenseman Mikey Anderson, an injury that knocked him out of last night’s 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

While the Kings already had seven defensemen on their roster (Sean Walker was a healthy scratch versus Edmonton) adding Bjornfot gives coach Todd McLellan additional defensive reinforcements for the Kings’ upcoming trip to the Pacific Northwest, with games against the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken.

Bjornfot, 21, is a 2019 first-round pick who has spent most of this season with the Reign. With the Kings’ trade deadline acquisition of Vladislav Gavrikov, the team’s pool of left-shot defensemen got even deeper, further pushing Bjornfot down the depth chart, even though he played 70 NHL games last season.

In the AHL, Bjornfot has played a top-pairing, minutes-eating role that has often paired him alongside 2019 fourth-rounder Jordan Spence. His sound overall game has led him to be the defensive anchor on that pairing, and as a result, he has helped Spence play with the sort of offensive freedom that has allowed him to post 42 points in 51 games.

Bjornfot’s numbers aren’t quite there (he has 12 points in 47 games) but he has had a strong run of recent production, with a four-game point streak between March 21st and 26th.

Now back in the NHL for the first time since February, Bjornfot will have the chance to re-enter the Kings’ lineup and show what he can do on an NHL stage. As he’s eligible for restricted free agency over the summer, any NHL time Bjornfot receives could be crucial in helping him leave a strong impression before offseason negotiations.

Los Angeles Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot

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The defensive shuffle continues for the Los Angeles Kings. This time it is Tobias Bjornfot getting the recall, just in time for the team’s game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.

Bjornfot, 21, has played in six games this season for the Kings, spending most of the year in the minor leagues with the Ontario Reign. That may be something of a surprise, given he suited up 70 times in 2021-22, but the young defenseman still hasn’t quite established himself as an everyday NHLer when the Kings are healthy.

Selected 22nd overall in 2019, it’s been an interesting road for Bjornfot. He made the NHL in his first post-draft season, playing three games because he was dominating at the minor league level. But in the year’s since, nothing has really progressed. That’s not to say he’s a lost cause – far from it at his age.

But when once he was considered an untouchable prospect in the Kings system, destined to play big minutes for the team, now you have to wonder whether he’ll be dangled in any deadline dealings. For now, he’ll happily take his NHL pay, even if he doesn’t get into the action later tonight.

Los Angeles Kings Make Several Roster Moves

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The Los Angeles Kings have completed a handful of moves, starting with the placement of Carl Grundstrom on injured reserve. He is expected to be out through the All-Star break, according to team reporter Zach Dooley. With Gabriel Vilardi also dealing with a minor injury, the team has recalled both Samuel Fagemo and Alex Turcotte from the minor leagues. Tobias Bjornfot is coming with them, giving the Kings another body on defense.

Grundstrom, 25, is having a season just like his first two, chipping in some offense while generally being a pain on the forecheck. Through 37 games he has six goals and ten points while racking up 93 hits. The Kings signed him to a two-year deal worth $1.3MM per season to be exactly that, and his absence will certainly be noticed.

Still, it’s not a huge loss for a club that has so many young prospects to fill the void. Fagemo, 22, has 12 goals through 27 games with the Ontario Reign this year and has been excellent when given a chance in the NHL. Turcotte, meanwhile, is still trying to find his way after being the fifth-overall pick in 2019. The 21-year-old has 12 points in 19 games for the Reign but is still looking for his first at the NHL level.

Los Angeles Kings Loan Two To AHL, Activate Viktor Arvidsson

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Saturday: Kupari’s stint in the minors was short-lived once again as the team announced that he has been recalled while they have also activated Viktor Arvidsson from non-roster status.

Friday: The Los Angeles Kings have announced the loans of three players to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Those three players are Samuel Fagemo, Rasmus Kupari, and Tobias Bjornfot. The moves come in advance of tomorrow’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

Fagemo, 22, was called up to the Kings on December 1st, and has skated in three NHL games so far this season. He has two points in those three games and will now return to Ontario, where he has six goals and eight points in 15 games.

The other forward to be sent down, Kupari, has seen more extensive NHL action so far this year. Kupari has played in 17 games for the Kings, scoring five points on just under eleven minutes of ice time per night. The 2018 20th overall pick also has nine points in 11 AHL games this year.

The lone defenseman to be sent down, Bjornfot, is like Kupari a relatively recent first-round pick of the Kings. Unlike Kupari, though, Bjornfot has played most of this season in the AHL. He has just four NHL games played so far this year, although in the games he did play he did manage to get some time on coach Todd McLellan’s penalty kill.

The defensively-focused Bjornfot’s spot on the Kings’ depth chart has been threatened by the emergence of Jordan Spence, who is also a 2019 draft pick and has 21 points in 22 AHL games so far this season.

These moves leave the Kings with three open roster spots, and while it’s certainly possible that these transactions are primarily motivated by a desire to bank some salary cap space, the possibility of corresponding call-ups cannot be ruled out.

Cal Petersen Clears Waivers; Kings Make Several Roster Moves

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3:31 PM: Add one more roster move to today’s avalanche of transactions in Southern California. Per a team release, the Kings have recalled forward Tyler Madden from the Reign.

This recall puts Madden, 23, in a position to make his NHL debut. The forward is perhaps best known as a former Vancouver Canucks prospect who was sent to Los Angeles as part of the team’s Tyler Toffoli trade.

Madden has scored five goals and eight points in 16 AHL games so far this year and scored 14 goals and 31 points in 48 games last year. Madden played his collegiate career at Northeastern University and scored 37 points in 27 games in his second and final season there.

1:15 PM: As expected, Cal Petersen has cleared waivers after a dreadful start to the season. The Los Angeles Kings have sent him to the minor leagues, while completing several other roster moves. Tobias Bjornfot, Pheonix Copley, and Samuel Fagemo have been recalled, while Rasmus Kupari and Jordan Spence are joining Petersen with the Ontario Reign.

It has been a precipitous fall from grace for Petersen, who signed a $15MM contract just over 14 months ago. That deal includes a $4MM signing bonus next year and $11MM total over the last two seasons, a price tag that many clubs would likely balk at if considering a claim. The fact is that he just hasn’t been good enough to justify that price tag, making it easy to understand why teams would pass over him on waivers.

If he can get his game back in order, there will be a path back to the NHL for Petersen. Copley doesn’t represent a huge upgrade, despite strong performances in the minor leagues. Through 31 NHL games, the 30-year-old has a .900 save percentage, and hasn’t played regularly at that level since 2018-19. While he can serve as a backup, for the time being, the Kings goaltending situation looks rather suspect at the moment.

By assigning Petersen to the minor leagues, Los Angeles will clear $1.125MM of cap space off the books, though a good chunk of that is eaten up by Copley’s $825K deal.

Pacific Notes: Boeser, Kings, Ducks

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Prior to the trade deadline, the Canucks hadn’t made any progress on a contract extension with winger Brock Boeser, reports Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston.  It has been a quiet year by the 25-year-old’s standards as he has 19 goals and 19 assists in 60 games, numbers that aren’t bad but aren’t befitting of the $7.5MM salary he’s receiving this season which stands as his qualifying offer in July to retain his rights.  It’s that situation that had Boeser in trade speculation heading into the deadline and will continue to have him in that until a new deal can be reached.  Vancouver can take him to arbitration and offer 90% of the qualifying offer but that’s as low as they can go and it’s something they can only do once with Boeser.

More from the Pacific:

  • Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot is nearing a return from the undisclosed injury that has kept him out for the last couple of weeks, relays Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The 20-year-old has held down a regular spot on the third pairing for Los Angeles this season, averaging over 16 minutes a night in his sophomore year.  Meanwhile, winger Brendan Lemieux was a full participant in practice for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury three weeks ago.  He leads the Kings in penalty minutes (86) and sits second in hits (108) in his 44 contests.
  • Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf is expected to be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against San Jose, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the last three weeks with a lower-body injury but still sits tied for fourth in team scoring.  Winger Troy Terry should be back for that game, however, after missing Wednesday’s contest due to illness.

Kings Place Alex Edler On Injured Reserve

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The Los Angeles Kings were hoping to take a step forward this season in their pursuit of a postseason return. A key move made this summer to help achieve that goal was the signing of veteran defenseman Alex Edler. The career Vancouver Canuck only signed a one-year deal, but his two-way ability and veteran presence was expected to be a major addition both on and off the ice in L.A. To this point, Edler has been even more important than anticipated. With star Drew Doughty having missed time due to injury and Sean Walker out for the season with an injury of his own, Edler has been relied upon as one of the few constant contributors of experience and scoring on the Kings blue line.

That is, until now. The Kings have announced that Edler has been placed on injured reserve following an awkward collision into the boards on Saturday night forced him from the game. Edler received a check from Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime in the first period and lost his balance, falling against the boards in his own zone. Edler’s left ankle appeared to give way as he fell and as Edler was being helped from the ice, he was unable to put any weight on his left leg. To this point, the team has only described the situation as a lower-body injury.

With Edler out, the Kings are losing their defensive scoring leader who has 11 points in 26 games. Edler also leads the team in plus/minus and is second in blocked shots and hits; the reliable defender has played no small role in L.A. this season. Christian Wolanin has been recalled to replace Edler’s roster spot, but it is Olli Maatta that is likely to draw into the lineup first. More pressure will also be placed on Matt Roy, who is enjoying the best season of his career, and rookies Michael Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot, who have excelled thus far despite adversity. The Kings’ season is not quite living up to the expectations they had imagined this season, as they currently sit sixth in the Pacific Division, but their points percentage has improved since last season and the team has a chance to stay in the playoff mix if they can survive another significant defensive absence. The team has not issued any update on the severity of Edler’s injury or any timeline on a return, but the hope is certainly that they will not be without their major free agent addition for too long.

Trade Rumors: Eichel, Blackhawks, Kings

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Jack Eichel remains the biggest name on the trade market and will remain as such until he is dealt. Or not dealt? The Athletic’s John Vogl spoke to both sides and found that GM Kevyn Adams and Eichel’s agent had a long, productive meeting on Wednesday. Eichel’s camp believes that the situation is “heading toward a resolution.” Read into that what you will, but the language at least hints at a possible reconciliation between the two sides. This report comes on the heels of TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that the Sabres’ asking price of “the equivalent of four first-round picks” has depressed the market. If the Sabres are not willing to drop the price of this franchise-altering trade, they could instead try to make amends with their superstar. Then again, Vogl also notes that the Sabres have not changed their opinion on Eichel’s proposed controversial neck surgery, a line in the sand that could still split the two sides. “Resolution” could still mean that the team and the player are working toward finding a trade.

  • One team in on Eichel are the Chicago Blackhawks. Don’t mistake their openness to trading iconic defenseman Duncan Keith as transitioning into a rebuild. Dreger notes that they are big game hunting this summer and have talked to Buffalo about the star center. However, Dreger does not believe that adding Eichel to a roster that already has two top-tier forward contracts in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is feasible from a cap perspective, even if Keith is moved. Instead, he believes that Chicago has a far better chance of landing one of their other two rumored targets: defensemen Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton.
  • The equivalent of four first-round picks is a mighty big ask, but it won’t slow down the Los Angeles Kings if they want to add Eichel. L.A. has long been a rumored landing spot for Eichel and it seems there is mutual interest in a trade. As Vogl notes, the Kings’ ability to part with the pieces needed to land Eichel hasn’t changed with today’s deal for Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson. L.A. parted with two valuable draft picks, but not a first-round pick nor any of their top-flight first-round prospects like Quinton Byfield, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari, or Tobias Bjornfot. If Eichel remains on the market, the Kings will definitely be in play.

West Notes: Bjornfot, Lindholm, Avalanche

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Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot was in the lineup tonight against Minnesota, his seventh game of the season.  That alone doesn’t sound all that meaningful but that is the revised threshold for junior-aged players to officially burn the first year of their entry-level contract, meaning the 19-year-old is officially in the first year of his contract.  Los Angeles opted to start Bjornfot in the minors this season, deferring the decision on his deal in the process but he has played a big role over his first six games – all wins – that basically forced their hand.  The next threshold to watch for is 27 games, the number that accrues a season of service time towards UFA eligibility.  That’s usually 40 games but has been prorated due to the shortened season.

More from the West:

  • The Ducks are expected to have defenseman Hampus Lindholm back in the lineup on Saturday against Vegas, relays Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. The 27-year-old has missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury.  While he won’t do much to bolster their scuffling offense that’s averaging less than two goals per game, Lindholm is a big part of their back end as he logs more than 22 minutes per night on the back end, second on the team to only Kevin Shattenkirk.
  • With Pavel Francouz out long term and the Avalanche having no idea when he’ll be able to return from his lower-body injury, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post argues that Colorado needs to trade for a veteran backup. Philipp Grubauer has been excellent so far this season but while that certainly bodes well for his free agency case, the team also doesn’t want to overtax him knowing they have eyes on a long playoff run.  A more experienced option to allow them to give Grubauer some more time off although with their cap situation, they’ll be forced to look for a low-priced veteran.  Given how goaltending depth has been in high demand this season though, even that may be a task that’s easier said than done.

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