Kings general manager Rob Blake met with the media Monday following his team’s elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday and in his press conference, per Lisa Dillman of The Athletic, he revealed that winger Viktor Arvidsson suffered a herniated disc and will undergo treatment to recover from the injury on Tuesday. Arvidsson did not play in the playoffs due to the injury, and Blake noted that Arvidsson was set to play until his injury re-aggravated in a practice just before the playoffs were set to begin.
Recovery is expected to take three to five months, per Blake, meaning that it’s possible that Arvidsson is not going to be ready for the start of the Kings’ regular season if his recovery is on the slower side. This news is unfortunate for the Kings, as Arvidsson has proven to be one of the Kings’ most important wingers. Despite only playing in 66 games, Arvidsson ranked fourth on the Kings in scoring, potting 20 goals and 49 points. The Kings’ inability to score doomed them in the final game of their series against the Oilers, so if they have any intention of going on another run to the playoffs next season, getting Arvidsson healthy and up to speed will be essential.
Now, for other notes regarding injuries across the NHL:
- As part of the Kings’ meetings with the media today, Drew Doughty spoke on his situation and the injuries that limited him to only 39 games played (and zero playoff games) this season. Doughty said, as relayed by The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein, that it was a wrist tendon injury that kept him from playing, and that he may have actually been able to return this season if the Kings had made it as far as the Western Conference Finals. Doughty notes that he “feels great” and should be ready for the beginning of next season. Given how well Doughty had been playing before his injury, this news has to be encouraging for the Kings as they seek to continue their rise back to the top of the NHL.
- Add Matt Dumba to the list of players who were playing through injuries during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Per Minnesota Wild Radio Network’s Kevin Falness, Dumba was playing through a punctured lung and a broken rib. It’s difficult to imagine what weathering the intensity of playoff hockey would be like under any circumstances, let alone with those two injuries, so Dumba’s performance in these playoffs is extremely impressive given the context of his injuries, even though he ultimately could not lead the Wild to victory.
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