Kings' Darcy Kuemper: Allows two goals in overtime loss
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Kuemper stopped 23 of 25 shots in Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Boston.
Kuemper has been superb to begin the 2024-25 campaign following the worst showing of his NHL career last season. As a member of the Kings this year, he has permitted only three goals on 58 shots through two starts. The Kings may go back to Kuemper on Monday in Ottawa.
Moore potted a goal against Boston on Saturday in a 2-1 overtime defeat.
Moore opened the scoring at the 5:22 mark of the second period. He also was credited with a game-high seven shots on goal. Moore had a career year in 2023-24, amassing 31 goals and 57 points across 82 regular-season contests.
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Kings' Quinton Byfield: Two assists in two games
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Byfield earned an assist in Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Boston.
Byfield had the secondary helper on a goal by Trevor Moore at the 5:22 mark of the second period. The 22-year-old Byfield has two assists and seven shots on net through two games this campaign. He will look to stay warm against Ottawa on Monday as the Kings' seven-game road trip continues.
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Kings' Darcy Kuemper: Starting in Boston
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Kuemper will guard the road goal Saturday versus Boston, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site.
Kuemper made 32 saves in Thursday's 3-1 win over Buffalo to open the 2024-25 campaign. Boston has accumulated 10 goals in two games this season en route to a 1-1-0 record.
Spence notched a power-play assist, two hits, three blocked shots and two PIM in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.
The big question on the Kings' blue line was who would step up in the absence of Drew Doughty (ankle), and the answer through one game is Spence. The 23-year-old logged 22:07 of ice time and also skated with the first power-play unit. That latter role could eventually go to Brandt Clarke, but this is Spence's chance to solidify himself in the Kings' lineup after producing 24 points over 71 regular-season outings a year ago. Spence is worth a speculative add in most fantasy formats.
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Kings' Joel Edmundson: Contributes assist in season opener
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Edmundson logged an assist, two blocked shots, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.
Edmundson was signed to a three-year in July, making him a virtual lock for the third pairing. The veteran defenseman isn't known to put up significant scoring numbers, nor has he been able to play a high number of games. Last season, he was limited to six points, 80 hits and 65 blocked shots over 53 games between the Capitals and the Maple Leafs. He saw 20:38 of ice time in his Kings debut, and he could be in line for more minutes while Drew Doughty (ankle) is out, but Edmundson offers minimal fantasy upside.
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Kings' Darcy Kuemper: Sharp in Thursday's win
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Kuemper made 32 saves in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Sabres.
Alex Tuch beat him on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period, but even then Kuemper made the initial save only for the Buffalo forward to get enough of a bouncing puck on the rebound to put it into the net. Otherwise, he had an answer for everything the Sabres fired his way. Kuemper is coming off a shaky 2023-24 season with the Capitals in which he stumbled to a 3.31 GAA and .890 save percentage over 33 appearances, but playing behind the Kings' tighter defensive system should have the 34-year-old netminder poised for significant improvement.
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Kings' Anze Kopitar: Natural hattie Thursday
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Kopitar scored three straight goals in the third period to give the Kings a 3-1 win over the Sabres on Thursday.
With Los Angeles down 1-0 after 40 minutes, Kopitar put the team on his back, potting his first goal just 13 seconds into the final frame before firing home the game-winner on the power play with 98 seconds left. The veteran center then flipped home an empty-netter to complete the natural hat trick. It's an outstanding start to the season for Kopitar, who is still plenty productive in his mid-30s -- he's recorded at least 26 goals and 70 points in each of the last two campaigns.
Per John Hoven of SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, Kaliyev (collarbone) will be out of action for 6-8 weeks, general manager Rob Blake said Thursday.
Kaliyev fractured his clavicle at the start of training camp and will look to return at some point between mid-to-late November. The 23-year-old winger had seven goals and eight assists in 51 regular-season appearances with the Kings last season.
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Kings' Darcy Kuemper: Set to start Thursday
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Kuemper was the first goalie off Thursday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports, indicating he'll be in the road crease for the Kings' regular-season opener against the Sabres on Thursday.
Kuemper spent the last two seasons in Washington, and he had one of the worst years of his career during the 2023-24 campaign, posting a 13-14-3 record, 3.31 GAA and .890 save percentage over 33 regular-season appearances. However, the 34-year-old had a strong preseason and will begin the regular season as the Kings' top goalie.
Lee had eight goals, 13 points and 23 PIM in 36 regular-season appearances with AHL Ontario in 2023-24. He hasn't made his NHL debut yet. If the 24-year-old gets into the lineup with the Kings, it will likely be as a member of the fourth line.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Shifts to LTIR
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Doughty (ankle) was moved to long-term injured reserve Wednesday.
The decision to put Doughty on LTIR shouldn't come as a surprise considering he is currently month-to-month following ankle surgery. Without the veteran on the blue line, Jordan Spence could be tasked with a significantly bigger role this year, including running the No. 1 power-play unit. Whenever Doughty does return, however, he should immediately reclaim that spot with the man advantage.
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Kings' Caleb Jones: On Opening Night roster
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Jones is one of eight Los Angeles defensemen to make the Opening Night roster ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Jones signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Kings in July. The 27-year-old will not be a lineup regular for Los Angeles, so he could see time with AHL Ontario throughout the season. The left-shot blueliner registered five assists in 25 regular-season contests with Colorado in 2023-24.
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Kings' Arthur Kaliyev: Shifts to IR
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Kaliyev (collarbone) was put on injured reserve Sunday.
Kaliyev suffered a fractured clavicle during an early training camp scrimmage. A timeline for his return has not been provided, but he is out indefinitely. Kaliyev registered seven goals, 15 points, 101 shots on net and 33 hits over 51 games in the 2023-24 regular season. Akil Thomas could be in the lineup for Opening Night against Buffalo on Thursday due to Kaliyev's absence.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Goes on injured reserve
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Doughty (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
Doughty is considered month-to-month following ankle surgery. He sustained a fracture during the preseason, and an exact timeline for his recovery remains unclear. The 35-year-old defender accumulated 15 goals, 50 points, 135 shots on net, 142 blocked shots and 109 hits in 82 games in the 2023-24 regular season. Jordan Spence, Kyle Burroughs and Brandt Clarke could see increased roles during Doughty's absence.
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Kings' Pheonix Copley: Put on waivers
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Copley was placed on waivers Sunday for assignment to AHL Ontario.
Copley posted a 6-4-1 record with a 2.48 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 11 minor-league outings during the 2023-24 regular season. His year was cut short due to ACL surgery, but he is healthy now and poised to spend most of the 2024-25 campaign in the minors.
