Alex Turcotte has had his fair share of injuries. He has had a tumultuous up-and-down career so far with his health.
He came into this year's camp heavier and stronger, saying he was in the best shape of his life. He played well in Ontario to start the year and earned himself a call-up with the Blake Lizotte injury.
He first saw game action against the St. Louis Blues at the end of January, and the next game saw his first NHL goal and multi-point game of his NHL career.
He has dropped off significantly since, with only two assists in the last 18 games, but he's is still a +5 with four points in 20 games.
He has played up and down the lineup more heavily during Jim Hiller's stretch of 11-7 format. He has spent plenty of time with Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield which is great for his development but he has yet to record points with the duo.
Turcotte was forced to leave the game yesterday after only playing just 7 mins in a collision with Taylor Raddysh of the Chicago Blackhawks near the end of the game. Hiller did not give an update post game as expected, and with the Kings playing back-to-back against Minnesota, we will likely know the extent of the injury until Thursday or Friday.
Right now, it is an upper-body injury from the conjecture that Turcotte favored his left arm before he went down the tunnel.
With Viktor Arvidsson set to return on Wednesday, Hiller has the option to insert Arthur Kaliyev back in and return to the 12/6 alignment or stick with 11/7, replacing Turcotte with Arvidsson.
Turcotte is a well-documented player who is having a hard time staying healthy. Over the past couple of seasons, it has been rumored that Rob Blake dangled his name in the trading block. The speculation was that the Kings should not have drafted him fifth overall, and he should have played another season at Wisconsin.
It has been a tough go for Turcotte, who, while still having an excellent motor and hockey IQ, just can't stay healthy.
There is still a player there who can be an effective top-nine player in a lineup. There is still a questionable replacement plan for the Kings at the center, as they have levied off plenty of high-quality center prospects and have stood by a few that injuries have mostly derailed.
Turcotte needs to continue playing NHL games and remaining healthy, and for the most part, this season, he has. He has acted as the subliminal 13th forward, but he's played up and down the lineup while looking very comfortable playing his game.
The most recent injury acts as another chapter in his career regarding injuries. The hope is that this one doesn't sideline him too long.