9/27 Preview – Clarke Expected To Debut + Tonight’s Game Group, California Chromiak, Roster Moves

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (1-1-1) @ Vegas Golden Knights (0-2-0)
WHAT: NHL Preseason Game
WHEN: Wednesday, September 27 @ 7:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: NHL Network – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings return to the ice this morning to take on the Vegas Golden Knights in their second of four games this week.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings posted a record of 2-2-0 last season against the Golden Knights, winning one of the two meetings at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. The group expected to play today will likely not contain any players who played in the NHL season series last year, instead featuring several players from the group that played in Anaheim on Sunday.

KINGS VITALS: As was the case against the Ducks, none of the players who went to Australia will play in tonight’s game against Vegas. That leaves a group of players pushing for NHL looks who did not go abroad, alongside veterans from Ontario and prospects from throughout the organization. Expecting to see several of the players from Sunday’s game back in action again tonight.

The expected game group for tonight is as follows –

Forwards (12) – Martin Chromiak, Ryan Francis, Samuel Helenius, Hayden Hodgson, Charles Hudon, Alex Laferriere, Tyler Madden, Mikhail Maltsev, Francesco Pinelli, Akil Thomas, T.J. Tynan, Taylor Ward
Defensemen (6) – Angus Booth, Brandt Clarke, Kevin Connauton, Joe Hicketts, Cole Krygier, Steven Santini,
Goaltenders (2) – J-F Berube, Erik Portillo

As detailed when previewing the game in Anaheim, this is a group with opportunity. The Kings could encounter some experience on the Vegas side in tonight’s game, providing a terrific opportunity here for younger players to make their mark in a difficult setting.

Notes –
On Brand-t
Confirmed news from this morning – Expect to see defenseman Brandt Clarke in the lineup tonight for his preseason debut.

Clarke has been in and out of action over the last couple of weeks. He injured his shoulder a couple of weeks back at the NHL’s Rookie Orientation, an injury which forced him to miss the trip to Australia, which he was otherwise expected to be on. Clarke remained back here, skating first in a non-contact setting before he eventually working his way into full participation during practice.

With his first game now on the horizon, Clarke is ready to roll tonight in Vegas.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been here for a month now, I want to play games and I’m finally getting the chance. I’m really excited for it.”

For Clarke, there was obvious disappointment in not making the trip abroad. Understandably so.

The timeline just didn’t work out for Clarke and for the Kings. With the timeline of his injury, Clarke would not have been on the ice for the first two practices in Australia, meaning he would not have been able to get the most out of his trip. He would have been back for the open practice on Friday, but as we now know, that practice wasn’t exactly what the Kings had hoped for in terms of timing or ice quality.

Therefore, Clarke was back here in El Segundo, working and getting himself ready for the bigger picture. His time to get into a game is tonight and he’s ready to go.

“At the time, before they left, I was pushing myself and trying to show that I can be there, I’d be ready to go, but they said to take it easy and we’ll see you when we get back, you’ll get in these games, you’ll get a lot of reps, you’ll be fine,” Clarke said this morning. “There’s still a long time until the season so that kind of put me at ease and that’s where my head’s at now. I’m just going to do my best night and then join back with Kings guys, I think we’ll practice tomorrow, and then see where it goes from there.”

Speaking with Ontario Reign Assistant Coach Chris Hajt, who will be running the defense tonight, there won’t be any limitations on Clarke in his first game. If he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go. And he is indeed ready to go.

Expect to see Clarke partnered with veteran Kevin Connauton at even strength and likely quarterbacking the top power-play unit throughout the evening. Looking at the roster configuration, Clarke is likely competing with Jordan Spence for the RD3 position. Spence was a standout performer in Australia, skating in both games in Melbourne. With a stern test expected tonight in Vegas, there is ample opportunity now for Clarke to prove himself and his worth.

“[Playing big minutes] would be a huge benefit and I think that’s the plan,” Clarke added. “I’m not going to speak for the coach, I think that’s the plan, I think I was practicing with the first unit out there and I think that’s the way we’re going to go tonight. I’m going to try to do my best they’re going to have really a lineup, so we’re just going to try to manage them as well as we can. I’m just excited to play again, it’s been a long time.”

California Chromiak
While Clarke will be playing his first game of the preseason, forward Martin Chromiak will be skating in his second.

Chromiak debuted against Anaheim on Sunday, skating just over 12 minutes in the 3-2 overtime defeat against the Ducks. While he skated alongside several teammates who were playing in their first game of the fall, Chromiak also got two games in Vegas at the 2023 Rookie Faceoff, as he led the Kings in scoring with three points (1-2-3) throughout the course of the event, posting a +1 rating in the process despite the Kings going 0-2-1.

A strong first showing, in his mind, for the Slovakian forward.

“It was good,” he said. “I played two games at the rookie tournament, but this was way different, playing the pro game, after five months. It was good to be back out there and I think I played a pretty good game.”

For Chromiak, he skated on a forward line with Tyler Madden and Francesco Pinelli against the Ducks, though the combinations were shuffled a bit throughout the evening. Such is life in the preseason.

Tonight, Chromiak will likely play again with Madden, but could see forward Mikhail Maltsev in the middle. Maltsev played last season in the Colorado organization and can play both center and wing. He’s an experienced AHL player with some NHL experience to boot, providing more of a veteran for the younger sniper Chromiak to skate with. Whoever he plays with during the preseason, Chromiak is rolling with the punches.

“It’s still the beginning of the season, we’re just trying to play as best we can and it was our first game together,” he said. “I think the coaches are trying to find chemistry between the guys, trying new lines, and there could be different lines [in future games]. We have to get used to it.”

As he looks ahead, Chromiak projects as a goalscoring winger. He’s scored at just about every level he’s played at, including 15 goals in the AHL last season with Ontario, fourth-most on the Reign roster.

While he has to improve the overall game, continuing to grow offensively is a focus for Chromiak, who would love to add to his totals here tonight in Vegas. A continued work in progress, as the 21-year-old continues to adapt to the pro game.

“Just want to work on my game, work on everything,” he added. “I want to create more offense and be more productive in the offensive zone.”

Roster Moves
Lastly, Insiders, the Kings made six roster moves earlier this morning, assigning six, junior-eligible players back to their respective clubs in the CHL.

The following players have been re-assigned to their respective junior teams –

Easton Armstrong – RW (Wenatchee, WHL)
Sam Alfano – RW (Erie, OHL)
Hunter Mayo – D (Red Deer, WHL)
Samuel Mayer – D (Peterborough, OHL)
Chase Pauls – D (Lethbridge, WHL)
Jacob Oster – G (Oshawa, OHL)

The Kings training-camp roster now sits at 62 players on their training camp roster (36 forwards, 19 defensemen, 7 goaltenders).

Regarding the remainder of camp, Group A is expected to return to the ice formally tomorrow morning at 11 AM. Group B will follow at 12:30 PM. Both groups will be on the ice at Toyota Sports Performance Center and we will have the updated groups posted here in tomorrow morning’s primer!