The Los Angeles Kings announced today that goaltender Erik Portillo has been recalled on an emergency basis from the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate.
The move was paired with the Kings placing starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper on IR for the second time this season. Kuemper was injured on Wednesday in a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
The decision to call up Portillo instead of veteran netminder Pheonix Copley is a bit of a surprise. In 2022-23, Copley found success with the Kings during a time when their goaltending was struggling, posting a brilliant 24-6-3 record. Since then, he appeared in only nine games with the Kings, dealing with a season-ending knee injury last December.
For Portillo, it’s an opportunity earned and not given. Last season in Ontario, Portillo was one of the top goaltenders in the AHL, posting a 24-11-3 record with a 0.918 Save Percentage and a 2.50 Goals Against Average.
With the Kings playing only three games in the next 11 days, it remains to be seen if Portillo will see any starts in his first NHL stint. There are multi-day breaks between each game, and it is safe to assume that Dave Rittich will be a rested option for every game in the next two weeks. Should Kuemper be out long-term, the opportunity for Portillo to start a game would increase significantly as the Kings play back-to-back games on November 29th and 30th.
Due to his development and progression, there is palpable excitement surrounding Portillo’s call-up. However, Kuemper’s long-term availability could become a big concern for the Kings. The veteran netminder has had a solid start to the season but has already dealt with two lower body injuries. His health will likely impact the Kings’ playoff hopes in a significant
Per LA Kings PR, the Kings also placed defenseman Caleb Jones on IR and recalled Jacob Moverare from the Ontario Reign.