The Los Angeles Kings made some additional roster moves earlier today as the preseason is coming to a wrap in just a week. LA is loaning defenseman Jared Woollley to the London Knights (OHL) and returning defenseman Henry Brzustewicz to the same junior club.
Both players will return to the Ontario Hockey League, where they will continue their development under the Kings and are expected to play significant roles for the London team until they are called back up to the NHL.
The moves are part of the assignments and cuts that the Kings are required to make and trim down before the start of opening night.
With less than two weeks left until the regular season begins, and the Kings looking very solid in the preseason, Los Angeles is narrowing down its roster to the group of players who are fit to be ready when the season starts.
Both Woolley and Brzustewicz are still very young and lack the experience to play in the NHL yet. Even if they were ready to play for the Kings, it would still be tough because of the presence of all the veterans, and the rest of the team has significantly more experience on the ice compared to them.
The depth chart and many of the positions, including defense, right and left wings, etc., are very competitive and deep for significantly younger players like Wooley and Brzustewicz, making them viable options to be considered.
Veteran players like Drew Doughty, Cody Ceci, Joel Edmundson, and Brian Dumoulin will still be on the roster, anchoring the defensive side.
The other players, who also have experience, such as Brandt Clarke and Mikey Anderson, will be there for the foreseeable future. Therefore, it was always very unlikely that both Brzustewicz and Woolley would make the cut.
For the Kings, sending players like Woolley and Brzuteswicz back to London allows them to continue developing them in the Ontario Hockey League while the Kings figure out what they’re going to do with their roster in the future.
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