Kings activate veteran winger ahead of playoff series opener

The Kings activated winger Carl Grundström off long-term injured reserve ahead of Monday's Game 1 of their first-round series against the Oilers. 

The 26-year-old’s return to the lineup means no Kings skaters are carrying an injury designation for the first time all season.

Grundström, a second-round pick of the Maple Leafs back in 2016, has grown into a solid checking winger since a January 2019 trade sent him packing to Los Angeles. 

Now in his sixth year with the club, the Swede has been almost exclusively a fourth-line presence in SoCal, averaging 11:33 per game. He’s provided eight goals and 12 points in 50 games this season.

He’s never truly played a full season, whether due to healthy scratches or injuries. His 50 appearances this season were his lowest in three years but not far back from his career high of 57 set last season. 

What he lacks in scoring, he makes up for in physicality, routinely ranking among the team leaders in hits. He had 115 over the regular season, most among Kings forwards.

Grundström hasn’t played an NHL game in over two months, last suiting up against the Sabres on Feb. 13. He spent the last week of the regular season on an LTI conditioning loan to AHL Ontario, scoring a goal and an assist in two games. It was his first AHL action in four years.

He’s expected to factor in on a stacked fourth line with Quinton Byfield and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Kings interim head coach Jim Hiller will look to roll four lines at even strength to take advantage of Edmonton’s weaker depth offense. Arthur Kaliyev will be a healthy scratch.

Grundström is in the final season of a two-year, $2.6M extension. He’s an RFA at season’s end — his last season under team control. He reaches unrestricted free agency before the 2025 offseason.