The training room at Crypto.com Arena is getting a little too crowded for comfort. Honestly, if you've been following the team this month, you know the vibe. It's that nervous energy where every time a player goes down blocked by a shot, you’re basically holding your breath until they get back up.
Losing the captain is never the plan.
Right now, the LA Kings injury report is headlined by a massive hole in the middle of the ice. Anze Kopitar is officially on the shelf. Seeing "Kopitar" and "Injured Reserve" in the same sentence feels wrong, like a glitch in the simulation. He’s been the iron man of this franchise for so long that his absence feels twice as heavy. The team placed him on IR on January 10, 2026, dealing with a lower-body issue.
He isn't the only one missing from the nightly line-up.
The IR List: Who’s Actually Out?
It’s a bit of a revolving door. You've got Trevor Moore also sitting on Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury. He joined Kopitar on the IR list right around the same time, leaving the Kings without two of their most reliable offensive engines. When you lose that much hockey IQ and work ethic in a single week, the line blender starts screaming.
Here is the current state of play for the big names:
- Anze Kopitar (C): Lower body. He’s on IR. The latest word is they’re hoping for a return around January 20, but with a veteran like Kopi, they won't rush it if he’s still feeling a tweak.
- Trevor Moore (LW): Upper body. Also on IR. Like Kopitar, the tentative target is early next week, but "tentative" is the keyword there.
- Drew Doughty (D): This one is a rollercoaster. He’s been dealing with a lower-body injury—specifically a foot issue from taking a shot to the boot back in November. He’s been "week-to-week" for what feels like forever. He’s back skating, which is a massive relief, but his minutes are the backbone of the defense.
Then there’s the Corey Perry situation.
That was a weird one. Perry was on "non-roster status" for about a week dealing with a family matter. The good news for fans is that he was recently activated and actually got back into the mix. Having a guy with that many miles and that much "grease" in his game is sort of essential when the younger kids are trying to figure out how to win tight games.
Why the LA Kings Injury Report is Killing the Power Play
You can see the impact of these missing bodies in the stats. The Kings' power play has looked... well, stagnant is a nice way to put it. When Kopitar isn't there to settle things down on the half-wall, the entries look rushed.
They're currently sitting 30th in the league for Goals For.
That’s a scary number for a team with playoff aspirations. Without Moore’s puck pursuit and Kopitar’s vision, Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe are being asked to carry a ridiculous load. Quinton Byfield has stepped up—the kid has four goals in January already—but he can't do it alone. Byfield is finally playing like the horse everyone expected him to be, using that 6'5" frame to actually move people, which is basically the only thing keeping the offense afloat right now.
The Defensive Strain
Mikey Anderson and Brandt Clarke are eating massive minutes.
With Doughty’s status being a constant question mark, Clarke has had to grow up fast. He's handling the top power-play unit, and while the talent is undeniable, you can tell the physical grind of the NHL season is starting to wear on the blue line. They’re 4th in the league for Goals Against, which tells you the defense and the goalies—Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg—are playing out of their minds to keep games close.
But you can only win so many 2-1 games before the dam breaks.
👉 See also: What Really Happened With the Wisconsin Volleyball Leak 2022
What to Expect Next
The schedule isn't doing them any favors. They just came off a brutal stretch against the Ducks and Golden Knights. Honestly, the depth is being tested in a way we haven't seen in a few seasons. If you're looking for a silver lining, it’s that guys like Andre Lee and Taylor Ward are getting real NHL looks.
Are they Kopitar? No. But they’re hungry.
Next steps for the Kings and fans:
Watch the morning skate reports for January 20. That is the magic date where both Kopitar and Moore are eligible to return from the IR timeline. If they both suit up, the dynamic of the Pacific Division race shifts immediately. If they don't, expect more emergency recalls from the Ontario Reign.
Keep an eye on the goalie rotation, too. Kuemper took a beating in the Jets game (5 goals on 16 shots), so Forsberg might see a heavier workload until the team gets their defensive structure back to full strength.
👉 See also: Why Butternut Farm Golf Club in Stow MA Is Still a Public Course Masterpiece
The reality is simple: the Kings are treading water. They’re in a Wild Card spot, but the margin for error is basically zero until that injury report clears out.