On Sunday, with the NHL ready to go on a two-week hiatus for the 4 Nations Faceoff, Kings management made a pair of roster moves in advance of the break.
Goaltender Pheonix Copley, recalled on an emergency basis just yesterday, has been returned to AHL Ontario. The initial move came just hours before Saturday night’s Kings-Ducks game and was necessary due to Darcy Kuemper not being available for personal reasons. Returning him now removes Copley’s cap hit from any accrual calculations moving forward.
In a move forecasted earlier, defenseman Andreas Englund was also placed on waivers. As previously reported, LA had been trying to find a trade partner for the 29-year-old defenseman. With nothing of interest available at the moment, the move was made to get the Kings roster down to a somewhat more manageable eight rearguards (now that Drew Doughty has returned from injury).
After playing in all 82 games during LA’s 2023-24 campaign, Englund had suited up for 11 contests this season. He’s in the final year of a two-year contract carrying a $1M AAV, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. Should he clear waivers, the native of Sweden is expected to be assigned to the Reign.
Additional information on the entire Kings roster situation, including salary cap implications and a look ahead to the NHL Trade Deadline can be found in the article linked below.
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