Kings Activate Mats Zuccarello

The winless Los Angeles Kings are getting a key reinforcement back to their forward corps. According to a team announcement, the Kings have activated winger Mats Zuccarello from the injured reserve. Los Angeles had two openings on their 23-man roster, so no corresponding transaction was necessary.

Simply put, the Kings need all the help they can get. After the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Ottawa Senators this past Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings remained the only team yet to win their first game of the 2026-27 season. The Kings are dead last in the NHL three weeks into the season.

There are two main reasons for that. First, Los Angeles has gotten dismal play from between the pipes, with the tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg managing an .861 SV%. Hardly conducive to winning.

Secondly, the Kings struggle to score, which has been a problem for a while. Last season, despite making the postseason for the fifth consecutive year, Los Angeles finished 29th in scoring. This season, albeit early, the Kings are 31st in scoring, just ahead of the Flyers. Fortunately, with Zuccarello returning, this should improve.

He’s been limited to one assist in two games this season due to an undisclosed injury. However, even on the wrong side of 30, Zuccarello is one year removed from scoring 15 goals and 54 points in 59 games with the Minnesota Wild.

It will take more than Zuccarello to turn things around, but there is a silver lining for the Kings. They have played the fewest games in the league so far, so there is still time to recover.