Kuemper is slated to start in Wednesday's home tilt versus Florida, per Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider.
Kuemper should be fresh after spending Monday's 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh on the bench. He has a 13-4-5 record, 2.10 GAA and .920 save percentage in 23 outings in 2024-25. The Panthers rank ninth in goals per game with 3.21.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Ditches non-contact sweater
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Doughty (ankle) was working in a regular sweater Wednesday and will travel with the Kings for their upcoming five-game road trip, Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period reports.
Doughty looks close to making his 2024-25 season debut, though the team hasn't provided a specific day he will be back in action. Still, it seems likely the veteran blueliner will suit up at some point during the upcoming trip since he is traveling with the team. Once back in the lineup, Doughty should reclaim a spot on the power play in addition to being a top-four option.
Gavrikov's point drought reached 11 games in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Penguins.
In that span, Gavrikov has a minus-6 rating, nine shots on net, seven hits and 21 blocked shots. The 29-year-old defenseman is almost always a steady source of blocks, but this is a poor stretch of play for him. He's at 16 points, 51 shots on net, 89 blocks and a plus-11 rating across 44 appearances. Gavrikov is a virtual lock for top-four minutes, but his role could shrink slightly once Drew Doughty (ankle) is ready to make his season debut, which could happen before the end of January.
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Kings' Adrian Kempe: Scores in third straight
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Kempe scored a power-play goal in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Penguins.
Kempe accounted for all the offense the Kings could muster in this game, and he extended his goal-scoring run to three contests while also finding the back of the net on the power play for a second straight appearance. The 28-year-old playmaker is having another strong season in 2024-25 with 43 points across 44 games, and if he keeps up the pace in the second half of the season, he might surpass the career-high 75 points he established in 2023-24.
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Kings' David Rittich: Struggles continue Monday
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Rittich stopped 27 of 32 shots in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Penguins.
Rittich has made only six appearances since the beginning of December, and the results haven't been encouraging, as he's gone 2-4-0 with a 3.04 GAA and an .876 save percentage in that span. He's also posted a save percentage below the .900 mark in each of his last three starts, so fantasy managers would be better suited to look elsewhere when Darcy Kuemper isn't starting for the Kings.
Kings' Alex Laferriere: Practices in non-contact jersey
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Laferriere (upper body) practiced in a non-contact jersey Monday but will remain sidelined for the Kings' home game against the Penguins, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
In addition to being ruled out for Monday's matchup, Laferriere is unlikely to play Wednesday against the Panthers, but he still appears to be trending in the right direction. Head coach Jim Hiller said Saturday that Laferriere was still "a ways off" from returning, but it seems possible that the 23-year-old will be in the mix to return as early as Saturday in Columbus.
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Kings' David Rittich: Set to start against Pittsburgh
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Rittich was the first goalie off at Monday's morning skate, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports, indicating that he'll draw the home start against the Penguins.
Rittich didn't appear in any of the Kings' last three games, but he'll tend the twine Monday as the team returns home following five consecutive road matchups. Over 21 appearances this year, Rittich has gone 11-9-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .887 save percentage.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Progressing in recovery
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Head coach Jim Hiller said Monday that Doughty (ankle) has been progressing in his recovery and "sees the finish line," Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
Doughty has been on long-term injured reserve since the start of the regular season after he underwent ankle surgery in early October. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action, but Hiller's comments are encouraging and suggest that Doughty is getting closer to his season debut.
Moore notched an assist and two hits in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Moore has assists in back-to-back games after going four contests without a point immediately following his return from an upper-body injury. Despite his recent lack of steady production, the winger has maintained a middle-six role. He's at 20 points (six goals, 14 assists), 65 shots on net, 34 hits and a plus-3 rating through 34 appearances this season.
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Kings' Phillip Danault: Hands out helper
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Danault logged an assist, three hits and two blocked shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Danault ended a four-game point drought when he set up a Jordan Spence tally in the first period. The 31-year-old Danault had earned an assist in six straight contests prior to his recent slump. The center is at 22 points, 66 shots on net, 40 hits, 37 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 42 appearances. He remains in a middle-six role and offers enough offense to be a decent depth option in fantasy.
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Kings' Kevin Fiala: Picks up power-play assist
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Fiala notched a power-play assist and 10 shots on goal in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Fiala accounted for one-third of the Kings' shots, but he wasn't able to contribute anything more than a secondary helper on Adrian Kempe's goal. With three points over his last two outings, it looks like Fiala may be heating up. The winger is at 15 goals, 10 assists, 13 power-play points, 124 shots on net, 30 PIM and a minus-9 rating through 42 appearances this season.
Kopitar logged a power-play assist, two shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Kopitar has a helper in each of the last two games, but he's been held to three assists over seven outings in January. The 37-year-old center is up to 42 points (12 on the power play), 56 shots on net, 33 blocked shots and a plus-18 rating over 43 appearances. He remains in a top-line role as one of the Kings' most consistent forwards in all three zones.
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Kings' Jordan Spence: Bends twine in loss
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Spence scored a goal on two shots, added two hits and blocked three shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Spence's tally late in the first period tied the game at 2-2, but that's where the Kings' offense stalled out. He ended a five-game point drought with the goal, which was his first tally since Dec. 12 versus the Devils. The 23-year-old blueliner continues to see steady playing time in a third-pairing role, though his minutes are sometimes limited due to the Kings' seven-defensemen formation. He's produced three goals, 14 points, 46 shots on net, 42 hits, 49 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating over 42 appearances this season.
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Kings' Adrian Kempe: Power-play goal in loss
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Kempe scored a power-play goal on two shots, added two hits and went minus-2 in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Kempe has six goals and five assists over his last 10 outings. The 28-year-old forward's goal Saturday tied the game at 1-1 in the first period. It was his first power-play tally since Nov. 30 versus the Senators. For the season, Kempe has 22 goals, 42 points (eight on the power play), 120 shots on net, 48 hits and a plus-20 rating over 43 appearances. While his overall production is strong as always, he's been less effective with the man advantage, where he had 20-plus points in each of the last two seasons, so there could still be a little room for growth in 2024-25.
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Kings' Darcy Kuemper: Falls to Kraken
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Kuemper stopped 18 of 21 shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kraken.
Kuemper allowed more than one goal for the first time in six starts. The 34-year-old gave up two goals to Jaden Schwartz in the first period and allowed Chandler Stephenson to put home the decisive tally early in the second. The Kraken handed Kuemper his second regulation loss in his last 13 games. He's now at 13-4-5 with a 2.10 GAA and a .920 save percentage through 23 appearances this season. The Kings return home to face the Penguins on Monday.
Kuemper will protect the road goal versus the Kraken on Saturday, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
Kuemper is 5-1-0 with just seven goals allowed on 164 shots over his last six starts. He has a 1.16 GAA and a .957 save percentage in that span. Given the Kraken often have trouble with consistency on offense, this is a strong matchup for Kuemper from a fantasy perspective.
