In a surprising twist, the Los Angeles Kings have welcomed back a familiar face to shore up their goaltending depth—but is this move a stroke of genius or a desperate gamble? The Kings announced (https://x.com/LAKingsPR/status/1978559273409114166) they’ve reacquired goaltender Pheonix Copley (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/c/copleph01.html?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr) from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for future considerations. This comes just weeks after losing him on waivers, leaving fans and analysts alike scratching their heads. But here’s where it gets interesting: despite recalling Erik Portillo (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/portier01.html?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr) on an emergency basis hours earlier, the Kings promptly loaned him back to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Copley, assuming he arrives in time, is slated to back up Anton Forsberg (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/f/forsban01.html?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr) tomorrow night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
And this is the part most people miss: The Kings’ urgency stems from injuries to key players Darcy Kuemper (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/k/kuempda01.html?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr) and Anže Kopitar (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/k/kopitan01.html?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr), both sidelined with lower-body injuries. While Kopitar’s status is listed as ’questionable’, Kuemper is definitively out for tomorrow’s game. Copley’s veteran presence and familiarity with the Kings—where he posted a 28-7-5 record, .897 SV%, and 2.75 GAA over three seasons—likely tipped the scales in his favor. Last season with AHL Ontario, the 33-year-old went 24-17-1 with a .904 SV% and 2.49 GAA, proving he still has gas in the tank.
But here’s the controversial angle: Why did the Lightning let Copley go so easily? Despite Andrei Vasilevskiy’s (https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/v/vasilan02.html?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr) underwhelming start, Tampa Bay opted to lean on Jonas Johansson (https://www.hockey-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=johanjo03,johanjo02&search=Jonas+Johansson&utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.prohockeyrumors.com&utmcampaign=2025-10-15hr) as their backup, leaving Copley on the sidelines. Was this a strategic move by the Lightning, or did they simply undervalue his potential? And for the Kings, is Copley truly the solution to their goaltending woes, or are they settling for a stopgap measure?
This trade raises more questions than answers. Are the Kings making a calculated move to stabilize their roster, or are they overestimating Copley’s ability to step in seamlessly? And what does this mean for the team’s long-term goaltending strategy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—do you think this was a smart move by the Kings, or are they playing with fire? One thing’s for sure: tomorrow night’s game against the Penguins just got a whole lot more intriguing.
