We’ll go in reverse order of the headline for this one because there is some really great news to pass along. The first five Kings preseason games will be televised… and when all is said in done, the sixth game could be added, as well.
Monday’s game in Utah will be available on NHL Network. Wednesday’s game will be on ESPN+.
Then, both games against the Ducks — coming Saturday in Ontario and Monday, Sept. 30 in Anaheim — are scheduled to be shown on Bally’s Sports West (LA’s home for hockey during the regular season).
Once the team travels to Quebec City to wrap up their final week of preseason, the first game there (against the Bruins) will be streamed on ESPN+. While TV plans for the final contest in Canada have yet to be announced, that game is against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Thus, there’s a good chance it will be picked up somewhere. Stay tuned.
Roster Plans
Again, let’s go in reverse order a bit, as it may make more sense that way.
From what Mayor’s Manor has learned, the team plans to take 15 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies to Quebec City on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
At this point, 23 of those 26 players are fairly well known. It’s essentially the group expected to comprise the opening night roster, plus Pheonix Copley as the third goaltender and two extra forwards.
So, who are the other two names the Kings will take to Canada with them for the final stretch of training camp? At this point, we’re expecting that to be Andre Lee and Sammy Helenius.
Projected Group for Quebec City
Laferriere – Kopitar – Kempe
Jeannot – Danault – Moore
Fiala – Byfield – Foegele
Turcotte – Thomas – Lewis
Lee – Helenius – Fagemo
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Gavrikov – Spence
Englund – Burroughs
Rittich
Kuemper
Copley
Timing of Other Moves
Further plans also call for the Kings to have a major roster cut down this week on Thursday. Some of the camp invitees could be released earlier. However, the organization’s drafted players targeted for junior hockey this season — guys like Liam Greentree, Carter George, Matt Mania, etc. — should be headed back to their respective WHL and OHL clubs on Thursday.
The timing of that benchmark is important, as it means they will be available to play in preseason games on Monday (vs. Utah HC) and Wednesday (vs. the Golden Knights).
This also suggests that the game against the Ducks on Saturday will most likely be a lineup filled with largely NHL players, and then rounded out with a few AHL guys. We’d assume the latter would be Kings prospects, i.e. Franky Pinelli, Martin Chromiak, Angus Booth, etc.
Perhaps the most interesting lineup of all the preseason games will come next Monday in Anaheim. The ‘projected NHL roster’ listed above will be headed to Quebec City. Thus, the overwhelming bulk of that group is assumed to be excluded from the game at Honda Center. NHL rules call for a minimum of eight NHL veterans to be part of any exhibition game, though. The Kings can use players like Phoenix Copley and Jack Studnicka to help fulfill that requirement. However, they may still need to use a few guys like Andreas Englund and Kyle Burroughs. We’ll have more on that later this week. After all, that’s four games from now. A few things may shuffle around between now and then.
Which circles everything back to Monday’s first preseason game of LA’s six-game schedule.
Trevor Lewis would be one of the obvious veterans who is likely headed to Utah, as he’s from Salt Lake City. We should have a better idea who else is making the trip early Monday morning.
Travel will be interesting this week, as the Kings are scheduled to hold a morning skate in El Segundo with the ‘game’ group. They’ll then fly to Utah in the afternoon, play the game, and return home.
Tuesday is an off day for everybody and then the Kings will repeat that schedule again on Wednesday — with a ‘game’ group taking a morning skate at TSPC, fly to Vegas to play, then return home to SoCal that night.
By the time you read this, an all-new Kings Of The Podcast will have already dropped, where much of this information is discussed in greater detail — along with discussion on Arthur Kaliyev’s injury and a look at various line combinations being tested out in camp by coach Jim Hiller.
Monday, September 23
Game Group Morning Skate: 10:00 a.m.
Group B Practice: 10:45 a.m. (NHL Rink 2)
Group C Practice: 11:45 a.m.
Game at Utah: 7:00 p.m. MT (6:00 p.m. PT)
NOTE: The complete roster of all 68 players in camp can be found here.
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