Ontario Reign Sign Erik Portillo
The Los Angeles Kings’ top minor league affiliate, the Ontario Reign, has announced the signing of Erik Portillo to an amateur tryout agreement. Portillo just finished his junior season at the University of Michigan, losing to the eventual champions, Quinnipiac University, in the Frozen Four Tournament.
Portillo was originally a draftee of the Buffalo Sabres, getting selected 67th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. Once it became clear that Portillo would not be signing a contract in Buffalo, the team traded his rights to the Kings this season for a third-round pick in 2023.
Now joining the Kings organization, Portillo has a legitimate shot at becoming a regular goaltender in Los Angeles. Trading away franchise-legend Jonathan Quick to the Columbus Blue Jackets this year (Quick was subsequently moved to the Vegas Golden Knights), the team is now carrying a tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Pheonix Copley. The tandem has been good enough since the trade deadline to help the Kings secure a playoff spot, but Korpisalo is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Los Angeles Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot
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 Sign Alex Laferriere
The Los Angeles Kings have signed prospect forward Alex Laferriere to a three-year entry-level contract, per a team announcement. The former Harvard star is currently playing with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an amateur tryout agreement, and recently tallied his first professional goal.
The 21-year-old’s contract carries an $875k average annual value for its three-year runtime and will expire in the summer of 2025. Laferriere earns this deal after an exceptional collegiate career, one where he scored a total of 73 points in 69 games.
While Laferriere’s 2022-23 season saw him score at a higher rate (42 points in 34 games compared to 31 points in 35 games as a freshman) it was his freshman year that saw him fill his trophy cabinet. The 2020 third-round pick won the ECAC title and landed the individual honors of conference Rookie of the Year and Third-Team All-Star.
Now playing on the first line of the Kings’ AHL affiliate next to T.J. Tynan and Lias Andersson, Laferriere will look to help the Reign go on a deep run in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
While it’s unknown whether the plan is to give Laferriere a chance in one of the Kings’ remaining games, the signing of this entry-level deal at least gives the Kings the option to call him up if they so desire. If anything, the main benefit to Laferriere is less the possibility of getting an NHL game or two, and more the fact that he’ll be eligible to hit restricted free agency in the summer of 2025, despite spending most of the season playing college hockey.
Los Angeles Kings Emergency Recall Jordan Spence
The Los Angeles Kings announced Wednesday that they have recalled defenseman Jordan Spence on an emergency basis from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
Spence, 22, has been playing with the Reign for most of the season, scoring four goals and adding 38 assists in 53 games. The move comes as the Kings deal with a rash of injuries on their blue line, with Alex Edler and Mikey Anderson currently sidelined with undisclosed injuries.
The Kings are well-positioned for the stretch run, having clinched a playoff berth earlier this week. The focus now sets on playoff positioning, with the most likely outcome a rematch of last year’s First Round series against the Edmonton Oilers. Spence isn’t coming into potential NHL action cold turkey, though, having played five games earlier this season with the Kings and being involved in multiple paper transactions throughout the year. He also recorded eight points in 24 games last season with Los Angeles and appeared in three playoff games.
Spence, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Kings, is a skilled puck-mover who excels in transition and logs big minutes at the minor-league level. He also possesses a solid defensive game, using his quick feet and positioning to shut down opposing forwards. He figures to be a future piece in the team’s top six defense corps, and he’s a great option to have on hand as a depth call-up at this stage in his development.
Kings, Sharks To Play Preseason Game In Salt Lake City
- Preseason hockey will return to Salt Lake City next year, with Vivint Arena, the home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, announcing an October 5 matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. Salt Lake City has long been viewed as a dark horse for expansion, and they’ve seen sustained preseason action over the past number of years, mainly highlighted by the Kings playing against various opponents.
Columbus To Receive Los Angeles Kings 2023 First Rounder
When the Los Angeles Kings clinched a playoff birth last night it guaranteed that the Columbus Blue Jackets would receive their first-round pick in the 2023 NHL entry draft.
Columbus originally acquired a conditional first round pick from the Kings at the trade deadline as part of a package for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
The condition on the traded pick was that if Los Angeles did not qualify for the 2023 playoffs, Columbus would have instead received a 2023 second round pick and a 2024 second round pick. Columbus will likely have the extra pick land somewhere late in the first round, but should be pleased with their slotting in what is expected to be a deep draft.
This trade could ultimately turn out to be a win for both teams. Columbus is trying to rebuild around Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine and the first-round pick should help them fill out the depth around their two offensive stars. Los Angeles on the other hand have emerged from their rebuild as a potential juggernaut in the Western Conference. They still boast a few remaining stars from their two cup winning teams and have done a nice job building around them.
This season the Kings were receiving some of the worst goaltending in the league until the trade with Columbus for Joonas Korpisalo. Korpisalo has gone 5-2-1 in eight games with a 1.75 goals against average and a .936 save percentage in what has been a career year for the 28-year-old. This recent stretch of success couldn’t have come at a better time for the Finnish goaltender, he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and with very few options available on the open market, Korpisalo could be in line for a hefty payday.
Alex Edler Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury
- The Los Angeles Kings suffered a setback in their game against the Vancouver Canucks last night as defenseman Alex Edler left the game due to an upper-body injury, per the team. Edler, who was acquired by the Kings as a free agent in 2021, has provided an experienced presence to the team’s bottom pairing. There is no word yet on the severity of Edler’s injury or how long he may be out of the lineup, and he’ll likely be replaced in the lineup by 21-year-old Tobias Bjornfot for the time being.
Los Angeles Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot On Emergency Basis
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.
Kevin Fiala Listed As Day-To-Day
- Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala is also out of the lineup tonight, per a tweet from the team. Fiala has fit in seamlessly in his first season with the Kings, scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 68 games so far this season. He has been listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Unfortunately, he is missing a key game as the Kings take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight and the teams are separated by just one point in the standings.
Kings Prospect Win Player Of The Month In OHL
Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Brandt Clarke will take home Player and Defenseman of the Month honors for the month of March in the Ontario Hockey League. In just nine games, playing for the Barrie Colts, Clarke put up an extremely impressive 11 goals and 11 assists, all while carrying a +/- of 16.
This season, Clarke was able to suit up in nine games for the Kings earlier in the season, scoring two assists during his time. Averaging over two points a game in the OHL this season, Clarke should be expected to earn a full-time job with the Kings next season.