Kings put Mats Zuccarello on IR before Rangers game

It started at morning skate, when Peter Laviolette said Zuccarello was out, and Quinton Byfield, the other name on the injury report, might be back.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

Mats Zuccarello will not play tonight with an upper-body injury. Peter Laviolette is “hopeful” that Quinton Byfield could play. He is on for today’s morning skate.

Of all the nights to miss, it had to be Rangers night at Madison Square Garden. Zuccarello was a Ranger for most of the last decade, so this was set up as his return to the building where he became a fan favorite. Instead he spent the night in street clothes. By late afternoon it got worse: the Kings officially moved him to injured reserve, which tells you they don't think this is a one-night scratch.

None of this came out of nowhere. Los Angeles signed Zuccarello to a 1-year, $1 million deal on July 1, after he spent 7 seasons in Minnesota. He was still producing there, with 54 points in 59 games in his last year as a Wild, but his time in Minnesota was full of injuries. With the Kings he had already missed 3 games earlier this season, and in the 6 games he did play he had 1 assist and had gone pointless in his last 4. Not every beat writer was shocked.

Andrew Knoll

@AndrewKnollNHL

Odd discussion surrounding Zuccarello, it's fairly simple, he's been hurt all year. Still has decent splits but obviously not making much impact. Is this at all surprising? They knew what they were signing on for. Gotta wait for him to heal. In and out isn't cutting it.

That's the right read. A 39-year-old winger on a $1 million flyer who has been banged up since camp doesn't need a slow drip of game-time decisions. He needs a real break. The IR stint is that break. It also opens a roster spot, and that's the part that matters for the Kings right now.

The good news came at warmups. Byfield was on the ice, and the line rushes had him centering Moore and Ward. Kempe stayed with Panarin and Laferriere on the top line, and Kuemper led the goalies out.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

Quinton Byfield is on the ice for warmups tonight. Pretty good sign he's likely good to go tonight against the Rangers.

Getting Byfield back covers some of the loss. The Kings will also probably need to tweak the power play, since Zuccarello was supposed to be one of their playmakers there. Even so, with Zuccarello out the forward group is thin, and LA has another game Thursday. One more body is going to have to come from somewhere.

The Mayor | Team MM

@mayorNHL

ROSTER MOVE Kings have placed Mats Zuccarello on injured reserve. Hasn't appeared right all season. Should be a good opportunity for him to rest and recover, come back better. Meanwhile, we'd expect another forward to be recalled before Thursday... Or will Turcotte be ready?

So that's what to watch this week: a call-up from the minors or a healthy Turcotte before Thursday. As for Zuccarello, the best-case version is the one he hasn't had yet this season: he heals fully and comes back looking like the player who put up 54 points last year. If that doesn't happen, the Kings have a $1 million question mark on IR and a Rangers revenge game that never took place.