West Notes: Kuemper, Danault, Byfield, Reichel, Connelly
The Kings’ goalie Darcy Kuemper exited early in the first period of tonight’s game against Dallas due to an upper-body injury, the team confirmed via a social-media update. The injury occurred after a hit from Mikko Rantanen. At 35 years old, Kuemper has been among the league’s better performers this season, posting a 2.21 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage through 22 games. He also sits fifth in the league with 15.5 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck, highlighting his significant value this year. Anton Forsberg stepped in to man the crease after Kuemper’s departure.
Additional West notes:
- The Kings were also missing two regulars on the forward line tonight, as Philipp Danault and Quinton Byfield were sidelined with the flu. Danault, 32, has yet to score a goal this season and has only five assists through 30 games, while Byfield has four goals in 31 games but leads the team with 15 assists, leaving him third in scoring.
- Vancouver’s Canucks assigned winger Lukas Reichel to the minor leagues after clearing waivers over the weekend. According to Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province, Reichel’s agent has permission to speak with other teams about a potential trade. With a $1.2 million average annual value and no takers so far, interest could rise if a team would absorb some salary by including a player in the deal. Reichel’s stock has dropped since his late-October acquisition from Chicago.
- The Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas’ AHL affiliate, announced that they’ve officially loaned winger Trevor Connelly to Team USA for the upcoming World Junior Championship. The 19-year-old was selected 19th overall in the 2024 draft and has started strong in his pro season, tallying three goals and four assists in 11 games so far.
In brief: Kuemper’s injury situation will be watched closely as the Kings navigate a stretch with several key players sidelined. Reichel’s potential trade market and Connelly’s World Juniors assignment add interesting layers to the West storyline as the calendar moves toward February and beyond.
