Clarifying the goalie situation – from LA to KC to Europe

It’s true – the same glass of water can be seen as half full or half empty, depending on your perspective.

With the latest round of roster cuts at LA Kings camp, one goaltender is headed to New Hampshire and another one will soon be packing for a trip to Europe.

On the surface, it may not seem like Martin Jones got the better end of the deal. However, he’s now in Manchester preparing to be the starting goalie for the Monarchs.

Sure, Jeff Zatkoff will be joining the Kings on their trip to Germany and Sweden next week. However, it’s highly unlikely he’ll even dress for either of the two games being played.

Following the announcement of Jones being assigned back to the AHL, coach Terry Murray shared these thoughts on the young goaltender…

“Jonesy’s played very well. He has a really good year in Manchester last year. It looks like he has the right demeanor, the right attitude and the right make-up to be a very good goaltender. His numbers coming from junior (WHL) right through last year in Manchester identify him to be a pretty good goaltender down the road. So, it’s very important that all these young guys just continue to play (referring to Jones, Tyler Toffoli and Brandon Kozun, who were all cut from camp on Sunday). They’re now in a more important role. They’re going to play in critical games, critical minutes and critical situations. It’s learning how to handle those situations. That’s where you take the next step.”

Over the weekend, Zatkoff spoke at length about his time in camp this year, his relationship with Bernier and even about the possibility of being the ‘extra’ goalie when the Kings head overseas. You can read his interview here.

Yesterday, Murray offered camp evaluations for the other top prospects just released – Kozun and Toffoli.

Later tonight, the Kings will play the Pittsburgh Penguins at the sold out Sprint Center in Kansas City. Jonathan Bernier is scheduled to be in net for LA, with Zatkoff backing him up. Jonathan Quick will start tomorrow in Colorado versus the Avalanche.

The Mayor
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