The Los Angeles Kings have made multiple roster moves ahead of their Tuesday morning practice, the final practice before the Olympic break.
The Kings recalled defenseman Joe Hicketts from the AHL's Ontario Reign. In the same transaction, center Kenny Connors is headed back to Ontario.
These roster moves are likely due to the injury that defenseman Mikey Anderson suffered in Los Angeles' last outing against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. He left the game with an upper-body injury after playing just 2:50 of ice time.
While there hasn't been an official update on Anderson and how long he may be sidelined for, Hicketts comes in as a depth defenseman on an emergency basis.
Hicketts, 29, has spent the past six seasons exclusively in the American League, the past three campaigns with the Reign.
He hasn't made an NHL appearance since 2019-20, and that was with the Detroit Red Wings, where he played six games. Hicketts has a total of 22 NHL contests under his belt, all for the Red Wings.
The undrafted blueliner has a small 5-foot-8 frame and a left-handed shot. He's featured in 41 games this season with the Reign, recording three goals and 14 points. With that, Hicketts has accumulated 41 penalty minutes and a minus-nine plus-minus rating.
As mentioned, Connors gets sent back down to the minors after a brief period with the Kings. The 22-year-old didn't get a chance to set foot on the ice and make an appearance for coach Jim Hiller's squad.
In what is his AHL rookie campaign and first year in professional hockey following three seasons at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Connors has scored nine goals and 24 points in 41 games.
Connors is sixth in Reign scoring and second in plus-minus with a plus-13 rating.
The Kings' next game is on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken. These roster moves suggest that Anderson may not be back in time for that affair, and maybe not until after the Olympic break.
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