Kings Penalty Kill Declines Amid Joel Edmundson’s Absence

The Los Angeles Kings have already faced numerous injuries this season. Franchise defenseman Drew Doughty has yet to play a single game. Trevor Moore was sidelined for a significant period while listed as 'day-to-day,' and their primary goaltender, Darcy Kuemper, has experienced two injuries.

Recently, in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson suffered a concerning injury but was able to return to play two shifts in the third period. He missed the following practice but then practiced in a red jersey before returning to a regular practice jersey ahead of the game against Calgary.

Edmundson sat out both games at the beginning of the Kings' five-game road trip, and fortunately, the team managed a lukewarm performance without him, going 1-1-0. Their game against Winnipeg was arguably their best of the season, aside from their home game against the same team. The match against Calgary started off promising, as they heavily attacked Dustin Wolf in the first period. Yet, they managed to score only one goal, opening up the opposing team to hang around and wait for an opportunity to strike back.

In both games, the opposition's opportunities came in the form of the powerplay, which ended up hurting the Kings in both contests.

Both games isolated a key issue: special teams. Their powerplay has been a black hole, but their penalty kill has been trending up. However, in both these games, the kill struggled while Edmundson was absent.

Edmundson is a key penalty-killing defenseman. The Kings allowed a powerplay goal against the Jets due to an uncharacteristic mistake by their penalty kill unit, which tied a game in which the Jets had no business being close. They encountered a similar situation against Calgary, where they allowed the game-winning goal after allowing fewer chances.

In the short time he has been absent, it's evident that the Kings are missing Edmundson. According to Moneypuck, among defensemen with over 50 minutes of penalty kill time, he ranks eighth lowest for expected goals against per 60 minutes (4.55), eleventh in fewest shots against per 60 minutes (84.3), eighth in high-danger shot attempts per 60 minutes (5.27), and third in on-ice goal differential (-3.5).

While one player typically does not significantly shift a team's balance—something the Kings experienced earlier this season without their number one defenseman—they have relied on their team's collective effort to get by, particularly on the penalty kill. Edmundson's absence is notably felt, especially given the special teams' impact in their last two games.

In their upcoming match against the Oilers, special teams will likely play a crucial role, as they have been the deciding factor between the two teams over the past three seasons. Even with Edmundson in the lineup, successfully killing their power play remains a considerable challenge. As the Kings have proven to be one of, if not the best, even-strength team in the league, their fate will hinge upon special teams.