LA Kings reacquire veteran goalie Pheonix Copley from Tampa Bay as depth while Kuemper is injured

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings have reacquired veteran goalie Pheonix Copley to provide depth while Darcy Kuemper is slowed by a lower-body injury.

The Kings acquired the 33-year-old Copley from Tampa Bay in a trade for future considerations on Wednesday.

Copley spent the previous three years in the Kings' organization, including 42 games last season for the AHL's Ontario Reign. The former Washington netminder started 35 games for Los Angeles during the 2022-23 season before missing most of the 2023-24 season due to knee surgery.

The Lightning claimed Copley off waivers earlier this month while they were worried about the status of starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, who struggled with an injury in training camp. Vasilevskiy ultimately was healthy enough to play in Tampa Bay's season opener.

Anton Forsberg is the primary backup to Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season along with Vasilevskiy.

Forsberg started the only victory in four games this season for the Kings (1-2-1).

Kuemper missed practice Wednesday along with captain Anze Kopitar due to lower-body injuries. Forsberg seems likely to start when the Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL