Erik Portillo
If there was one player who might have been impacted the most this summer it would have to be Erik Portillo. After two seasons in the AHL with the Ontario Reign, it seemed logical that Portillo was ready for the NHL and would have fit in perfectly as the backup to Darcy Kuemper.
However, the Kings appeared to have a different view and would sign Anton Forsberg to a two-year deal that has essentially blocked Portillo's path to the NHL for the foreseeable future, unless there is an injury during the season.
There is no question that this raises the question why the Kings were not ready to turn to Portillo and it could have to do with their focus being on playoffs. They might not have wanted to rely on a rookie if Kuemper were to suffer an injury at any point and not be available.
Portillo's injury history might have also factored into the decision as he missed most of the second-half of last season for the Reign due to injuries. However, it might have been worth the risk to go with Portillo because he has looked really good at times and when healthy could have filled that role well.