The Los Angeles Kings didn't only lose the game on Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche but also lost their starting goalie in Darcy Kuemper. He left the game early due to an injury and David Rittich would finish the game.
Kuemper's return is going to be delayed even more as the Los Angeles Kings announced they have placed him on injured reserve. He will now miss at a minimum seven days but it wouldn't be surprising if his absence went longer than that.
This is Kuemper's second stint on injured reserve as he missed a few games earlier in the season with a lower body injury. However, what is different this time is the Kings did not recall veteran Pheonix Copley from Ontario but rather Erik Portillo.
Portillo originally was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 NHL Draft but after not reaching a contract, his rights were traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2023. He has spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Reign and this season has appeared in five games with a 3-2 record and a goals against average of 3.02 and save percentage of 0.891.
Moving forward, David Rittich will likely step in as the starter to replace Darcy Kuemper but with the likelihood this is an extended absence, Portillo should get a chance to see his first action in an NHL regular season game.
Los Angeles Kings place defenseman Caleb Jones on injured reserve
In addition to Darcy Kuemper being placed on injured reserve, the Kings also placed defenseman Caleb Jones on injured reserve as well. He has been a backup defenseman this season for the Kings and appeared in five games.
To replace Jones on the roster, the Kings recalled Jacob Moverare from the Reign. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft and has played in 45 NHL games in his career, including 24 last season. Moverare probably won't be a consistent presence on defense but should see a handful of starts depending on how long Jones is out.