Perhaps this is all some type of cruel joke at this point.
Friday afternoon it was announced that Andre Lee was being recalled to the NHL and was en route to New York to rejoin the Kings.
Coach Jim Hiller was probably throwing his hands up in the air in disbelief, while GM Rob Blake perhaps had his face in his hands wondering why this is happening again. Meanwhile, Reign bench boss Marco Sturm may have been slamming his fist on a desk somewhere.
Just when things appeared to be settling in nicely for both clubs, another fly appeared in the ointment.
Word around the campfire (aka what we’ve learned through various sources) is that Trevor Moore is questionable for Saturday’s contest against the Rangers. With management talking about the SoCal native being ‘an important piece’ of the lineup this season, it’s no wonder there’s so much handwringing over this situation.
For Hiller, LW1 (the left wing spot on his top line) has been a spinning carrousel, with 10 different Kings skaters having already filled the position this season. It’s a rather astonishing stat through 29 games. Moore was just the latest who seemed to find a home there, having played up top during the Kings six-game winning streak that came to an end Thursday in New Jersey.
Exactly what happened resulting in him getting a little banged up isn’t exactly clear at this time. Hiller is expected to provide more clarity during his media availability tomorrow.
Moore had picked up five points (3G, 2A) in his past five games, and had recorded 17:58 of ice time vs. the Devils — right around his typical usage.
If he’s not able to go on Saturday, it remains unclear if Hiller will utilize Lee, Akil Thomas, or Alex Turcotte in his place. LA’s bench boss could even shake up the lines further, breaking up the second or third line, borrowing a different forward to play alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
To date, Lee has played 16 games with the Kings this season, making the opening night roster out of training camp following a stellar 2023-24 AHL campaign. He was sent down last week and promptly scored a goal in his first game back with Ontario. The 6-foot-5 Swede hasn’t looked out of place when skating with the big club, earning the confidence of his coach and teammates along the way.
We’ll see what tomorrow brings, as the Kings play an early game against the Rangers on Saturday, before finishing off their road trip in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Nashville and Washington.
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