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- The Los Angeles Kings have struggled offensively this season, ranking 29th in the NHL in goals scored per game. The club’s low-scoring loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last night only further raised questions about the state of the Kings as a Stanley Cup hopeful. Former LA Times sports columnist Helene Elliott reported that fans in attendance were vocal in their displeasure for how the team performed against Chicago. While the Kings’ offensive struggles have prompted some to consider whether it’s time for the club to consider a coaching change, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor wrote that he is “not expecting a change in the LA Kings head coach anytime soon.” He noted that while the Kings have had great difficulty scoring at even strength and on the power play, “they’re still in every game,” and that the best path for the team moving forward would be for some of its scorers to return to their prior levels of offensive production.
Kings To Activate Drew Doughty From Injured Reserve
3:15 p.m.: The Kings have now officially announced that they have activated Doughty off of injured reserve.
12:56 p.m.: Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty is going to be activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Blackhawks, according to Zach Dooley of NHL.com. Los Angeles has an open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is required.
The contest will mark Doughty’s first performance since sustaining an apparent left leg/foot injury while blocking a shot against the Senators on Nov. 15. There was initial fear that his injury was related to the left ankle fracture that sidelined him for the first few months of the 2024-25 campaign. However, the team quickly confirmed there was no connection and that he only carried a week-to-week designation, unlike the month-to-month one his previous ankle injury carried.
Shortly thereafter, general manager Ken Holland told reporters he only expected Doughty to miss two to three weeks. Today’s game is the first in that return window, so his comeback is right on schedule.
Doughty returned to practice on Thanksgiving, so he’s been skating for at least a week. Doughty said his “cardio is where it needs to be,” according to Dooley, so the injury was minor enough not to significantly interrupt his conditioning. Doughty added he didn’t sustain any sort of fracture in his foot (via Eric Stephens of The Athletic).
The five-time All-Star and 2016 Norris Trophy winner wasn’t off to a great start before exiting the lineup. His 2-6–8 scoring line in 19 appearances worked out to 0.42 points per game, his lowest pace since his rookie season. His 22:33 average time on ice is also the lowest mark of his 18-year career, although that figure is dragged down somewhat by his early departure from the Ottawa game.
Part of that reduction has come via a decrease in shorthanded deployment. The team’s offseason signings of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci pushed Doughty out of a spot on L.A.’s top two penalty kill units.
He’s also received a greater challenge for the No. 1 power play quarterback job from young righty Brandt Clarke, who leads the Kings’ defense in scoring with three goals, nine assists, and 12 points in 26 games. Doughty did not record a point on the man advantage before his injury, with seven of his eight points coming at even strength and the other coming shorthanded.
However, Doughty’s 5-on-5 game remains among the best the Kings have to offer on the back end. Among L.A.’s six regular defenders, he ranks second behind Clarke in Corsi share (55.7%), shot share (55.1%), and expected goal share (53.9%). He tops Clarke with a 53.5% control of high-danger chances. That’s with Doughty having only the third-highest rate of offensive zone starts among Kings defenders at 56.5%.
Doughty will presumably return to his regular top-pairing role on the right side along Mikey Anderson. Lefty Joel Edmundson had filled in there on his off side for the past several games, but will now return to a more comfortable job on the second or third pairing on the left side. Jacob Moverare, who only played once this season before Doughty’s injury, will return to a press-box role.
Kings Sign Samuel Helenius To Two-Year Extension
The Kings announced that they’ve signed center Samuel Helenius to a two-year contract extension. The deal is worth $1.75MM for a cap hit of $875K, carrying him through the 2027-28 season. That will be paid out via a $850K base salary in the first year and a $900K base salary in the second, per PuckPedia. He was due to become a restricted free agent next summer. His agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, was the first to report the signing.
Helenius, 23, was a second-round pick by the Kings in 2021. The son of former Stars enforcer Sami Helenius checks in at 6’6″ and 201 lbs and was drafted with the hopes of panning out as a long-term bottom-six piece as a checking center. So far, he’s close to delivering on that ceiling. After playing out the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with AHL Ontario, Helenius earned his first NHL recall in November last season and spent a good chunk of the season in the Kings’ lineup as their fourth-line center. In 50 appearances, he notched four goals and three assists for seven points with a +1 rating. His deployment was limited to even strength only, keeping his ice time down at 8:39 per game. He won 46.8% of his faceoffs and recorded 150 hits, second on the team.
His game was as conducive to low-event hockey as advertised. No L.A. skater was on the ice for fewer goals against per 60 minutes at even strength than Helenius at 1.4. Of course, his 1.5 on-ice goals for per 60 was also the second-lowest on the team among skaters with at least 25 games played. No Kings forward averaged fewer shot attempts per game than Helenius’ 1.28, either.
This season, Helenius cracked the opening night roster but has barely played. He’s been surpassed on the depth chart by winger Jeff Malott and now serves as the 14th forward. Considering the Kings’ forward group has avoided injury pile-ups this season, that’s meant only three showings for Helenius in 25 games. He recently went over a month between appearances and skated just 3:25 of ice time in his last outing against the Senators on Nov. 24. In those three games, Helenius has a -1 rating while going 3-for-13 on faceoffs with 10 hits.
With Helenius carrying the profile of a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect, the lack of playing time isn’t doing much harm for his development. He’s already close to his peak anyway as an everyday fourth-line piece with fringe third-line upside. While he may not be a regular in the Kings’ lineup this season, the organization obviously sees his role increasing enough over the next two seasons to warrant an extension. The new deal means he’ll be owed a one-way qualifying offer of $945,000 in the 2028 offseason if the Kings want to retain his signing rights.
Blues, Kings Swap Nikita Alexandrov, Akil Thomas
The St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings have swapped higher-level AHL forward depth. According to an announcement from the Blues, St. Louis has traded Nikita Alexandrov to the Kings for Akil Thomas.
Neither player made their respective teams’ NHL rosters out of training camp, and have exclusively played in the AHL this season. However, they are both former second-round selections from the late 2010s and have garnered NHL experience in the past.
Alexandrov, 25, was drafted with the 62nd overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft from QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. He’s spent the last five years in the North American professional circuit, all within the Blues organization.
He has yet to break out in any meaningful way, and injuries have impacted his availability over the last few years. After scoring 21 goals and 49 points in 48 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds last year, he enjoys a career line of 61 goals and 143 points in 188 AHL contests with a +21 rating, good for a 0.76 point-per-game average. In the NHL with St. Louis, he’s registered a relatively disappointing three goals and nine points in 51 games.
Meanwhile, Thomas, who was drafted with the 51st overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, spent all last season on the Kings’ roster, albeit as an extra forward. He’s spent the previous six years as a consistent secondary scorer for the AHL’s Ontario Reign, tallying 50 goals and 106 points in 176 games. He has had fairly similar production to Alexandrov at the NHL level, scoring four goals and seven points in 32 games.
Depending on what St. Louis and Los Angeles do with their respective new players, it appears to be a win for the Reign at face value. Alexandrov has scored three goals and 14 points through his first 18 contests this season, and the Reign sit middle-of-the-pack in the AHL in terms of GF/G. Springfield, on the other hand, has had a dismal start to the 2025-26 campaign, sitting 29th in the league with a 5-10-2-2 record.
Evening Notes: Teravainen, Foegele, Greig
The Chicago Blackhawks could be without a top winger in Sunday’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Teuvo Teravainen is questionable due to an undisclosed injury per Scott Powers of The Athletic. Teravainen was not present for the team’s Saturday morning practice.
It is unclear when Teravainen sustained his injury. In any case, he would leave a major lineup hole behind him after playing in more than 20 minutes of ice time in three of his last five games. He has recorded three points and a minus-three in that span, bringing his year-long totals up to 16 points and a plus-four in 24 games. Teravainen has been a core piece of a young Chicago lineup. Should he have to sit, the Blackhawks would be forced to turn towards Landon Slaggert, who has played scant minutes and managed no scoring in his last four appearances. Slaggert has one goal and 12 penalty minutes in 10 games this season.
Other notes from around the league:
- Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele is continuing to progress from a day-to-day, upper-body injury. Head coach Jim Hiller said that Foegele is feeling better but won’t play in Saturday night’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks, per Kings’ managing editor Zach Dooley. Foegele has four goals, a plus-two-, and eight penalty minutes in 18 games this season. He has served a third-line role, after posting a career-year with the Kings last season. In what was his first year with the club, Foegele managed 24 goals and 46 points in 82 games, both career-highs. He will continue to carry a day-to-day designation and look to find a path back to production when the Kings take on the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
- Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig could make his return from injury in Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Stars, head coach Travis Green told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Greig missed his fifth-straight game on Friday. He is working back from a day-to-day, undisclosed injury sustained on November 15th. The 23-year-old center has eight points, 20 penalty minutes, and 25 hits in 19 games this season. He seems to be approaching a true breakout, and could continue that hunt as soon as Sunday.
Injury Notes: Roslovic, Hartman, Foegele
Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch shared several updates, as reported by Jason Gregor of Sports 1440; most notably, Jack Roslovic is set to miss multiple weeks. Kasperi Kapanen will be out at least one week, possibly longer, and Jake Walman is making progress, in time for a possible return next week.
Just yesterday it was thought that Roslovic could be just questionable for Saturday’s game, so the week-to-week diagnosis is a surprise. The forward has been a tremendous fit in Edmonton, with 10 goals and 18 points in 23 games, and will be sorely missed as the team faces mounting pressure to get on track. 21-year-old Matthew Savoie will have an opportunity to step up offensively, as the Oilers will desperately fight for a strong December. Roslovic left last Tuesday against Dallas after blocking a shot.
Meanwhile, Kapanen was back in practice yesterday after a five-week absence, but appeared to re-aggravate the injury, and was visibly frustrated leaving the ice. Walman has been out since November 20th, avoiding the IR, and will be eager to return to the lineup to prove his worth after inking a major long-term extension in October.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Ahead of their hosting of Colorado this afternoon, the Minnesota Wild announced that Ryan Hartman has been activated from injured reserve, and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel has been reassigned to AHL Iowa in a corresponding move. Hartman, thought to be week-to-week with a lower-body injury earlier in the month, is a welcome addition especially with Marcus Foligno set to miss time. Hartman, 31, has seven points in 20 games, a far cry from his 34-goal output four years ago, but the South Carolina native remains a solid third line center for the club. Meanwhile, Aubé-Kubel was called up just yesterday, but is headed back to Iowa without yet appearing for Minnesota this season.
- Zach Dooley, Manager of Editorial Content for the Los Angeles Kings, shared that forward Warren Foegele will not play this afternoon in Anaheim. Foegele, a fixture of the Kings’ bottom six, left practice yesterday with an apparent injury. The 29-year-old has four goals in 18 games this year, after setting a career high 24 in his first season with the black and silver in 2024-25. In his absence, fellow 29-year-old Jeff Malott enters the lineup, bringing major size and physicality in a fourth line role.
Drew Doughty Returns To, Warren Foegele Leaves Kings’ Practice
Thursday’s practice left the Los Angeles Kings with positives and negatives on the injury front. Star defenseman Drew Doughty return to the ice with individual drills, but isn’t expected back soon, while winger Warren Foegele left practice early with an injury per team reporter Zach Dooley. No update has been provided on Foegele’s injury.
Doughty has missed the last four games with a week-to-week, lower-body injury sustained on a blocked shot in Los Angeles’ November 15th matchup versus the Otttawa Senators. He had returned to his role as Los Angeles’ top defender before going down with injury. Doughty averaged a team-leading 22:33 in ice time through 19 games before going down with injury. He rewarded that top role with eight points, a plus-seven, and 30 blocked shots. The Kings haev been pushed to ice Joel Edmundson, on his off-hand, in a top-pair role with Doughty out of the lineup. That will make this injury update well-anticipated, even if Doughty still has a step to go until he’s back in full.
Meanwhile, Foegele’s absence could leave a glaring hole in the team’s bottom-six. Foegele has four goals, 18 hits, and 22 shots on goal in 18 games this season. He missed a few games with a right-shoulder injury in October, but returned with force on November 9th. He scored two goals in his first three games back, then spurred a four-game scoring drought with a goal in Los Angeles’ Monday matchup versus Ottawa.
The Kings will need to turn towards either Alex Turcotte or Jeff Malott, should Foegele be forced out of the lineup. Turcotte has recorded three assists, a minus-four, and 11 penalty minutes in 22 games this season. He sat out of Los Angeles’ most recent matchup, but could find a quick path back with Foegele’s absence. Malott would bring a much more enforcing style, already boasting two goals and 23 penalty minutes in 16 games this season. He stands at 6-foot-5, 208-pounds and offers a heap of grit, in comparison to Turcotte’s skill.
Breaking Down The Early Free-Agent Victories
At the quarter mark of the NHL regular season, there are some early wins for teams that took a chance on the free agency market. While some of the higher-priced free agent signings, like Mitch Marner of the Golden Knights and Mikael Granlund of the Ducks, might be obvious choices for this piece, we will focus on some of the more under-the-radar signings that have delivered fantastic results so far.
Avalanche forward Victor Olofsson was a late addition to the team’s roster, signing a one-year deal on Aug. 20 for $1.575MM. For most of his career, Olofsson was a fairly one-dimensional perimeter scorer who primarily shot the puck well. That all changed last season, when he made a solid defensive impact with the Golden Knights and contributed decent depth scoring with 15 goals and 14 assists in 56 games. He still dealt with injuries, which have been an issue in his career, but his performance was enough for AFP Analytics to project that the 30-year-old would sign for three years at a cap hit of $3.41MM.
However, Olofsson’s injury history and inconsistent play likely kept his market soft. This was great news for Colorado, which signed him up. He’s been excellent to start the year with six goals and nine assists in 22 games. As good as Olofsson has been at five-on-five, he has done a lot of damage with the man advantage, registering six points thus far, which is quite a number given that he had just eight points on the power play last year.
Olofsson was effectively signed to replace a departing Jonathan Drouin, whose salary could no longer fit within the Avalanche’s cap structure, as Drouin was able to secure a two-year, $8MM contract with the Islanders. Colorado had Drouin on a discount for the previous two seasons, and the Ste-Agathe, Quebec native impressed for the Avalanche, recording 30 goals and 63 assists in 122 games over those two seasons. Drouin kept his game simple with Colorado and used his skill set to be as effective as possible.
His free-agent market was limited because fit was an essential part of the equation, but he seems to have found a good fit with the Islanders, recording 14 points in 22 games. What makes Drouin’s start really promising is that he hasn’t scored much on the power play, with just three assists in 80 minutes of time on the man advantage. Last season, he had 12 points in 132 power-play minutes for the whole season, and if he can get back to that level of production at five-on-four, his numbers will look great at the end of the year.
It’s now been six years since the Ducks bought out Corey Perry, and many wondered what his career prospects were as he approached his mid-30s. Perry reinvented himself, shifting from a scoring power forward to more of a net-front presence and pest. Since the buyout, Perry has played for six different teams and reached the Stanley Cup Finals—and lost—five times. The 40-year-old signed this summer with the Kings, agreeing to a one-year deal for $2MM plus an additional $2MM in potential performance bonuses. To start the season, Perry has been on a hot streak, scoring seven goals and adding five assists in 14 games while playing nearly 15 minutes a night. His ice time is the highest it’s been since 2018-19, though it’s likely unsustainable for the entire season, as is his current production. However, even if he slows down in the later stages of the year, he should still net at least 30 points, which is excellent value for the contract he signed. Ultimately, the Kings signed Perry for his playoff impact; however, his start to the regular season has been a bonus so far.
Jack Roslovic has faced challenges navigating unrestricted free agency, settling for one-year deals below market value in consecutive summers. This year, he waited until Oct. 8 to secure a new contract, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.5MM with the Edmonton Oilers. Roslovic has responded by starting the season strongly, with seven goals and eight assists in his first 21 games. His fit in Edmonton seems natural so far, which makes sense given his speed and skill. Roslovic was an unusual fit with Carolina last season but made the most of it, recording 22 goals and 17 assists in 81 games. Suppose he can maintain his current pace until season’s end. In that case, it’s unlikely he’ll need to sign another one-year deal, especially since he has worked on and improved other parts of his game, notably his faceoff ability, which was questionable early in his career. Roslovic is making the league sit up and take notice of him, and he’s likely hopeful they will consider him in free agency next summer.
Shifting back to the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins made a couple of under-the-radar signings on July 1 that have paid off big time early in this season. Justin Brazeau signed a two-year, $3MM deal in free agency this past summer. Very little attention was paid to the move, which isn’t surprising given that Brazeau didn’t break into the NHL until he was 25 and had just 95 career NHL games across two seasons. However, the New Liskeard, Ontario native showed enough in his short career for the Penguins to take a chance on him, and so far, the returns have been excellent—he has six goals and six assists in 12 games. Now, an unfortunate upper-body injury has slowed Brazeau’s season, just as he was gaining traction on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha. Brazeau will likely miss a couple more weeks, but if he continues to trend in the right direction, the Penguins will have a bargain forward on their hands for another season and a half.
Parker Wotherspoon was another shrewd signing on July 1 by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. The 28-year-old played well last season in a bottom-pairing role and signed with Pittsburgh, likely sensing that there was an opportunity for a bigger role on the left side of the team’s defense. The Penguins entered the summer with arguably the worst left side in the NHL and made some depth moves to create competition and improve the position. So far, it has worked, as Wotherspoon has secured a spot alongside Erik Karlsson and has become the team’s top pairing. Wotherspoon is signed for another season after this one as part of his two-year $2MM deal, and like Brazeau, could provide Pittsburgh with a major contributor at a bargain basement price for one more season. He’s approaching a career high in points and has been part of rejuvenating Karlsson’s game, providing him with a reliable defensive partner for the first time since his days in Ottawa.
There is always an inherent risk when signing players in free agency. Olofsson, Drouin, and Perry have all proven to be reliable veterans earlier in their careers and weren’t considered high-risk signings. Still, it’s not surprising to see them contributing as they are, given their past performance and their strong showings last season with their previous teams. For Brazeau and Wotherspoon, signing them was essentially a no-risk decision for Pittsburgh, and they have worked out exceptionally well. Dubas did well to sign them for an additional season, a low-risk gamble that could pay off significantly if the rest of the season unfolds well. Neither man has contributed at this level before, and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain this pace throughout the entire season.
Kings Reassign Pheonix Copley To AHL
Friday: As expected, Copley has been returned to the minors, per a team announcement.
Thursday: The Kings have recalled goaltender Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor reports. He will back up Anton Forsberg on Thursday night in San Jose. It wasn’t a scheduled start for No. 1 option Darcy Kuemper, and he’ll now get the night off entirely by not having to make the jaunt up to the Bay Area. Defenseman Drew Doughty was moved to injured reserve to open a roster spot, the team announced.
Tonight is the first half of a back-to-back for the Kings. Kuemper will start tomorrow as they return home to face the Bruins. The Kings could either leave Copley on the roster for Friday’s game as well to give Forsberg the night off or have Forsberg dress as Kuemper’s backup as usual while returning Copley to the minors.
If Copley enters tonight’s game in relief of Forsberg, it will be his first NHL action in over a year. The Kings’ third-stringer was claimed off waivers by the Lightning during the preseason, but he was traded back to them in exchange for future considerations after not suiting up for the Bolts. He then cleared waivers once back with Los Angeles. That short stint on Tampa’s roster aside, Copley is now in his fourth consecutive season in the Kings organization. He had an extended stint as a tandem option in the 2022-23 season, making a career-high 35 starts, but has been relegated to a No. 3 role since then, with nine total appearances over the last three years.
The 33-year-old Alaska native has played seven games for Ontario since being reclaimed off waivers. He’s struggled to the tune of a 3.84 GAA and .870 SV% with a 2-5-0 record. Since he’s not being summoned to play, his performance isn’t of much concern. He’s been significantly outpaced by 25-year-old prospect Erik Portillo, who’s rebounding nicely after a rough AHL showing last year with a .915 SV%, 2.26 GAA, and 5-1-1 record in nine games. If either Kuemper or Forsberg were to miss any significant time, he would likely be the recall option over Copley at this stage.
As for Doughty, his move to IR is purely procedural. General manager Ken Holland said yesterday he’s set to miss another two to three weeks with his lower-body injury.
Kings Notes: Kempe, Doughty, Copley
Kings forward Adrian Kempe recently took himself off next summer’s free agent market by signing an eight-year, $85MM contract extension. Speaking with HockeySverige’s Martin Jansson, he acknowledged he likely left some money on the table considering how quickly the UFA class is drying up. He also indicated that he lowered his salary request which appears to be what pushed this deal across the finish line. Kempe is in his tenth NHL season, all spent with Los Angeles. He’s off to a strong start with 19 points in his first 20 games, a point-per-game pace that would be the second-best of his career. If that holds over the full season, the beginning of the deal could wind up being team-friendly, though there is some risk in the final few years given that he’ll be in his age-30 season when the contract begins.
More from Los Angeles:
- While defenseman Drew Doughty’s injury timeline carries a week-to-week designation, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be out too long. GM Ken Holland told reporters including John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor (Twitter link) that the veteran, who has been placed on injured reserve, will miss two to three weeks. The 35-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury and had been off to a solid start to his season with eight points in 19 games while logging a team-high 22:33 per night, the only Kings player averaging more than 20 minutes per night.
- With Doughty on IR, there is a roster spot available but that won’t be the case for long. Holland acknowledged that the Kings will be recalling goaltender Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario for tomorrow’s game against San Jose. He isn’t being brought up due to an injury though. Instead, he’s being promoted to give Darcy Kuemper a full day of rest before he gets the nod on Friday. Copley has had a tough start to his campaign with the Reign, posting a 3.84 GAA along with a .870 SV% in his first seven appearances.