The Los Angeles Kings are set for an afternoon matchup against the Anaheim Ducks and prior to the game made a roster move. The team would bring back Andre Lee from the Ontario Reigns to replace forward Akil Thomas, who was placed on injured reserve.
Thomas last played on Monday against the San Jose Sharks and he must now sit out at least seven days. However, the Kings can make the move retroactive so in theory, he could return as early as Wednesday against the Dallas Stars. It does remain to be seen though how serious the injury is and when he actually will be able to return.
Entering this season, Akil Thomas looked like he might be a permanent fixture on the fourth line but has been used sparingly for most of the season. He has appeared in only 10 games and averaged 11:07 of ice time with one goal and one assist.
In a subsequent move, the Los Angeles Kings brought back Andre Lee from the Ontario Reign. He began the season with the LA Kings and in total has played in 15 of the team's 23 games this season. Lee, a seventh-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft, has no goals, two assists along with nine blocked shots and 32 hits.
While Lee was called up, it is uncertain if he will play against the Ducks. The Kings, at least for this game, will likely go with the same lineup they had against the Winnipeg Jets. It worked really well and if that is the case then Samuel Helenius will be on the fourth line with Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere while Trevor Lewis will play with Alex Turcotte and Phillip Danault on the third line.
However, Andre Lee probably will get on the ice sometime soon and it could be as early as tomorrow's game against the Ottawa Senators.