Kings forward Andrei Kuzmenko will miss week-to-week as he underwent successful surgery to repair his torn meniscus, the team announced Saturday.
The struggling Kings will continue their second half of the season, now missing one of their best players on the blue line. On Saturday, the team announced Andrei Kuzmenko had undergone surgery to repair a torn meniscus and will be placed on injured reserve and listed week-to-week.
Los Angeles also announced that they are recalling defenseman Angus Booth from the Ontario Reign, likely to help out on the defensive side of things and spell out the injuries that the Kings are suffering through right now.
The injury now feels more serious than it did at first glance. It sucks for Kuzy and is another big blow to the Kings up front, who already have Kevin Fiala out for likely the rest of the season and Joel Armia, who left Thursday's game against the Edmonton Oilers after suffering an upper-body injury.
At this point in February, where we are through the first half of the regular season and just two months away from the playoffs, the good news is that Kuzmenko won't be out for months, and it will only be for a week, still in a position to return before the season comes to an end.
With the Kings now thin in their forward group, with Armia, Fiala, and Kuzmenko missing time, that's three key pieces out for Los Angeles's depth up front. The Kings are now more than ever going to ask more from Trevor Moore, Jeff Malott, and Warren Foegle, etc. The good news is that Artemi Panarin is here and can make up for the injuries, but it will be tough to replace three key rotation players who have been playing great this season.
Kuzmenko has pretty much been healthy this season, and his play on ice has been consistent, with 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points. Kuz is definitely a vital piece for Los Angeles, and it sucks to see him go out at this point in the season, when the Kings are in a slump and looking to fight for a postseason berth.
The week-to-week timetable could mean that, at the earliest, Kuzmenko returns by mid-March or at the end of the month. The more likely outcome is a return sometime in March, weeks ahead.
Can the Kings afford to have another forward injured? It's unclear what the line will look like now that Kuzmenko and Armia are injured, and who will be moved up to spell them. Could the Kings make a trade?
Still, the Kings' making that roster move to recall the 21-year-old defenseman from Ontario is a solid move. Booth has played 42 games for the Regin and has one goal, nine assists, and 10 points, solid numbers playing for the AHL.
With Doughty injured as well and listed day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury on Thursday, it's a good move for the Kings to bring in a younger and fresher body on the defensive end.
The hope is that Kuz returns just in time to help the Kings fight for playoff contention, because right now it's the worst time for Los Angeles to be facing injuries and adversity.
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