Los Angeles Kings bolster their goaltending with the reincorporation of Pheonix Copley, coming from the Tampa Bay Lightning. This acquisition seeks to strengthen the roster in the face of Darcy Kuemper’s injury.
The agreement, which involves future considerations, marks Copley’s return to the team, where he already played for three seasons.
Copley, 33, had a prominent role in the Kings organization, including 42 games with the Ontario Reign of the AHL last season.
In the 2022-23 season, the goalkeeper started in 35 games for Los Ángeles, before being affected by a knee surgery that kept him out for much of the 2023-24 season.
The Lightning claimed Copley earlier this month, concerned about the physical condition of Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was recovering from an injury suffered during training camp. Vasilevskiy was finally able to play in Tampa Bay’s opening game.
Anton Forsberg, who was Kuemper’s primary backup, has been the starting goalie in the Kings’ only win in the four games this season.
Kuemper and captain Anze Kopitar missed Wednesday’s practice due to lower-body injuries. Forsberg is likely to be the starting goaltender when the Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
