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Updated: List of 36 Skaters Expected at Kings Training Camp

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Building on our article from yesterday — where we took a look at the potential list of players who could be scheduled to participate in the LA Kings upcoming training camp — we’ve now confirmed the team’s plans for camp.

As noted in the aforementioned article, it’s believed the NHL will move to limit teams to 36 players in camp. However, we have now received updated information that suggests the expectation is the league will allow 36 skaters and up to four goaltenders.

With that in mind, our understanding is the Kings list for training camp includes the following players:

23 Forwards

Michael Amadio, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Lias Andersson, Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Aidan Dudas, Mikey Eyssimont, Sammy Fagemo, Martin Frk, Carl Grundstrom, Alex Iafallo, Bokko Imama, Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Rasmus Kupari, Blake Lizotte, Matt Luff, Trevor Moore, Akil Thomas, Tyler Madden, Johan Sodergran, Gabriel Vilardi, and Austin Wagner

13 Defensemen

Mark Alt, Mikey Anderson, Daniel Brickley, Kale Clague, Drew Doughty, Sean Durzi, Olli Maatta, Kurtis MacDermid, Jacob Moverare, Markus Phillips, Austin Strand, Matt Roy, and Sean Walker

Goaltenders

Jonathan Quick
Cal Petersen
Matt Villalta
Jacob Ingham
Troy Grosenick

NOTES:

— As we reported previously, Cole Hults won’t be ready for the start of camp, as he’s still recovering from off-season surgery.

— All of the players returning from Europe — i.e. Fagemo, Grundstrom, etc. — either arrived in Los Angeles already or are scheduled to be in town tomorrow. This provides them the required eight days of quarantine before training camp opens on December 31.

— Several other prospects who would normally participate in training camp are instead at the World Junior Championship until around January 6. That list of players includes: Tobias Bjornfot, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Quinton Byfield.

— At this time, it does not appear the Kings have much interest in adding a veteran forward of goaltender to add to their taxi squad. Everything is subject to change pending final NHL rules for the 2020-21 season. However, they appear to be comfortable with what they have for the time being. That could change if the rules severely handcuff how they can move certain players around between the NHL, AHL, and CHL. Another concern they’re facing is being very close to the NHL maximum of 50 contracts. We should have additional info on this topic later in the week.

More on the Kings nine prospects at the WJC, most will return to their regular club teams in Europe or, in the case of Jordan Spence, the Quebec junior league. Plans aren’t quite as clear for a pair of key prospects, though – Kaliyev and Byfield. The Kings are awaiting final rules to be laid out by the NHL, clearly describing what they can and can’t do with players who are normally too young for the AHL – and the preference is to not burn a year off of their Entry Level Contracts by keeping them on the NHL roster while not playing them. In the case of Turcotte, he’s targeted for the American League.

Even if the above three (and add Bjornfot into that group also) return from the WJC, they aren’t expected to be cleared in time for NHL Opening Night. With the league planning on starting January 13 and players scheduled to fly back to LA on January 7, there wouldn’t be enough time for them to quarantine for eight days. Meaning, LA’s Opening Night roster might be close to reality right now, what it will look like a week or two into the season is still very much in flux.

For now, the LA Kings projected roster for Game 1 of the 2020-21 season remains as we’ve previously reported:

Alex Iafallo – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown
Adrian Kempe – Gabriel Vilardi – Martin Frk
Trevor Moore – Blake Lizotte – Jeff Carter
Austin Wagner – Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Matt Luff
Michael Amadio, Carl Grundstrom

Olli Maatta – Drew Doughty
Mikey Anderson – Matt Roy
Kurtis MacDermid – Sean Walker
Kale Clague *

Jonathan Quick
Cal Petersen

As noted previously, the plan is to rotate Clague/Bjornfot between the NHL and AHL this season. Neither player needs to pass through waivers, so it should be somewhat easy to interchange them, as needed.

From what we’ve been able to gather, the plan is to play Carter at wing this season and the team wants to get an extended look at Andersson, who was recently acquired from the New York Rangers. Getting some early season NHL games for Andersson, a former first round pick, could temporarily slide JAD to the taxi squad to start the season, as he’s the only forward who can be sent down without first needing to clear waivers.

Coach Todd McLellan is expected to join Kings Of The Podcast in the next few days for a lengthy chat – one that will most certainly feature plenty of additional roster talk.

UPDATE – MONDAY, DECEMBER 28:

Athanasiou was originally selected by Detroit at the 2012 NHL Draft. In 303 NHL games played, the 26-year-old forward has recorded 84 goals and 72 assists (156 points) and 117 penalty minutes. Last season, he notched 11 goals in 55 games for the Red Wings and Oilers. This was a depth signing for LA, as Athanasiou is expected to push the Kings younger forwards for playing time – specifically, in a bottom six role.

We had previously looked at the Kings making a deal like this in an October article.

Finally, one interesting footnote – the Oilers paid a steep price to get Athanasiou for what ended up being just nine games due to the 2019-20 NHL season ending early.

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Comments

  1. Kings missed on a huge chance to sign undrafted Pavel Gogolev Guelph Storm / OHL. No one drafted him so you will hear it here first the Kid is going to be good. Bokko Imama, why? He brings what to the table? Kings are paying him $735,000 for?

    • Situation is a little more nuanced than that. First off, the Kings aren’t paying Imama 735k. That’s his cap hit, should he make the NHL roster. He actually makes 60k a year in the AHL. He plays a very specific role, namely protecting valuable high-end prospects in the AHL. Why is he coming to camp? Because he has a two-way contract. And those players are coming. Similar toark Alt.

      Now, as for Gogolev, going undrafted means 31 NHL teams passed on him – not just the Kings. Which is a bit curious, though, as he scored 46 goals last year; and played four seasons in the OHL, one of the most scouted leagues on the planet. Finally, this past November, he signed to play in Sweden.

  3. What is the status on Andersson as it relates to expansion draft, is he currently exempt and if so is that a consideration for management in how to roster him this season?

  5. It looks like Parik could be NHL star goalie in few years. Do you see him as the best prospect goalie at the moment?