It looks like the Los Angeles Kings and head coach Jim Hiller will get an important player defensively back in the active roster lineup later this week on New Years Day (Jan. 1) against the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Atlantic Division on Thursday. Starting goalie Darcy Kuemper is expected to be back in the active roster lineup for Hiller and the Kings later this week on New Years Day.
Los Angeles Kings get positive injury updates early this week with starting goalie Darcy Kuemper being activated from injured reserve yesterday
The Kings officially announced the move on Tuesday evening (Dec. 30) that Kuemper was activated from injured reserve in the middle of this week. This likely means that the Kings can expect Kuemper to return on New Years Day this week after suffering an upper-body injury a few weeks ago in early-to-mid December this month.
To make room on the active roster for Kuemper at the goalie position, Hiller and the Kings assigned veteran goalie Pheonix Copley to the AHL affiliate Ontario Reign on Tuesday evening. Kuemper, a reigning Vezina Trophy finalist for the Kings this past season in the West, missed the team's past three weeks and a half-dozen games this month in mid-to-late December.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Kings slowly work Kuemper back into the active roster lineup during the upcoming four-game homestand late this week and early next week in early January next month. This is very welcome news for the Kings, as the team went just 2-4 in the half-dozen games without Kuemper in the active roster lineup.
Before suffering the upper-body injury a few weeks ago in early December vs. the Dallas Stars on the road, Kuemper registered a 10-6-6 record, with a sparkling .917 save percentage, 2.19 goals against average, and two shutouts.
In Kuemper's absence in this past few weeks, Anton Forsberg started five games for the Kings in the West. He registered a 2-2-1 record in the five starts he made this month in December in the past few weeks.