Mats Zuccarello stays home as Kings recall Jared Wright

Friday's first word came before practice, from the beat writer at the Kings' own site.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

Not expecting forward Mats Zuccarello to make the trip with the @LAKings today to Vegas. Will get a further update from Peter Laviolette after today's practice.

No injury was named, and Peter Laviolette's update isn't out yet. But nobody in LA is shocked, because the Kings have been handling the 39-year-old carefully since camp opened. Back on September 17 he was reported to have a minor shoulder injury that limited him in training camp. He was cleared in time to play the preseason finale against the Ducks. Then on October 5, the day before the home opener against Florida, he skipped practice for what Laviolette called a maintenance day: "I don't expect anything, sometimes players just need a minute."

So the first question everybody asked was whether the shoulder is acting up again, and it was asked out loud right away.

Andrew Knoll

@AndrewKnollNHL

@DooleyLAK @LAKings Is it his shoulder again ot something different, I wonder. This was obviously a concern. He has never played the full 82 (84 now) and probably wasn't gonna do it at 39

Knoll has a point. LA didn't sign Zuccarello in July expecting 82 games out of him. The Kings gave him a 1-year deal on July 1 after 7 seasons in Minnesota, where he put up 54 points in 59 games last year. They wanted a veteran with skill in the top 6 and on the power play, and the trade-off with a player that age is that some nights he won't be there. The real worry is that the first of those nights comes this early in October, after a shoulder problem in September.

The Kings didn't wait long to fill the spot. They brought Wright back up from the Ontario Reign, and he arrives playing well.

Zach Dooley

@DooleyLAK

Corresponding move for Zuccarello ⬇️ Wright has goals in both games he's played this season in the AHL, including the overtime game winner on opening night.

LA Kings PR@LAKingsPR

The @LAKings have recalled forward Jared Wright from the @ontarioreign (AHL).

Wright, a 6th-round pick at 169th overall in 2022, isn't a new face. He played 23 NHL games for LA last season and had 4 assists, which means he's still looking for his first NHL goal. He also scored the winning goal in the 2024 national championship game at Denver, so big moments don't seem to bother him. Being sent down to Ontario at the end of camp clearly didn't slow him down: he has scored in both Reign games so far, including the overtime winner on opening night.

Next up is what Laviolette says after practice. If it's a precaution and Zuccarello is back for the next game, nobody needs to panic. If it's the shoulder again, the Kings have a bigger problem, because they're relying on a 39-year-old to play a big role and he's already missed time twice before the season is a week old. In the meantime, Wright gets a shot in Vegas, and a first NHL goal would earn him more time in the lineup.