LA Kings: Five players destined for NHL taxi squad roster

Here are five players that could be carried as part of the taxi squad.

Matt Luff – Luff is probably the most obvious choice, given he’s already had two stints in the NHL. After a decent showing in 18-19, tallying 11 points in 33 games, Luff has a disappointing 19-20, with only five points in 18 games. He played well with the Ontario Reign, scoring 9 goals with 24 points in 30 games. The Kings’ re-signed the restricted free agent to a one-year deal worth $700,000. He was likely to see bottom-six time at some point this year, and the expanded rosters confirm his spot on the roster.

Kale Clague – The former second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft could bring some offensive firepower to the blueline. Like Luff, Clague was expected to see NHL time this year, so his addition to the taxi squad is fairly straight forward. A left-handed shot, Todd McLellan will have to get creative to find playing time for the young defensemen, especially with Tobias Bjornfot and Mikey Anderson expected to transition into full-time roles in 20-21. The 22-year-old scored 8 goals with 25 points in 49 games for Ontario while also playing in four games with the Kings last year.

Samuel Fagemo – Going undrafted in the 2018 NHL Draft was perhaps the best wake-up call to Fagemo’s game. If you recall, Mark Yannetti indicated the Swedish forward’s game wasn’t complete in his draft year, lacking aggression and competitive nature. He had a terrific performance at last year’s WJC for Team Sweden, propelling him into the upper echelon of Kings’ prospects. Fagemo is currently loaned to Sodertalje, where he has six goals with 11 points in 18 games.

Austin Strand – Signed as an undrafted free agent after posting 17 points in 36 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, Austin Strand logged nearly a point-per-game the following year. He’s spent the last two seasons with the Ontario Reign, accumulating a combined 33 points. A restricted free agent this offseason, the Kings re-signed him to a one-year, two-way deal. At 6-foot-4, Stand will be solid depth along the defense’s right side.

Troy Grosenick – The Kings signed Grosenick in mid-October as a depth netminder for the Ontario Reign. But Los Angeles also must avoid a Denver Broncos’ quarterback situation if Quick and Petersen are unfit to play. The 31-year-old spent the bulk of his career in the San Jose Sharks organization. He was traded for a sixth-round pick to the Nashville Predators at the 2018 trade deadline. With the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL last year, Grosenick posted a .920 SV% and 2.29 GAA in 33 games.