Kings Call Up Rob Scuderi … Or Did They???

By Jeff Duarte
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Updated: November 1, 2016

The Los Angeles Kings have recalled veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi from the Ontario Reign to replace Brayden McNabb, who was placed on IR after suffering an upper body injury last Saturday against St. Louis … or did they???

Scuderi, who will turn 38 this December, has not played a single game with the Reign so far this regular season, after he was placed on and passed through waivers by the Kings before the NHL regular season started. A veteran with 783 NHL games and two Stanley Cup victories, (the second with LA in 2012), Scuderi is on the last year of his contract, and possibly for his playing career.

With the team already having the slow footed veteran Matt Greene on the roster, hearing that the Kings had decided to bring back up an even slower (and older) player, who hasn’t been playing on any level since the pre-season, (and isn’t even close to being the same player he used to be) and the Kings’ expect this to be a quick (not Jonathan) band-aid like fix to solidifying the Kings defensive core while helping them get back on track while they are in the midst of a two game losing streak, and struggling heavily with injuries, instead of bringing up the active and “ready to go,” 24 year old Kevin Gravel, who is a strong skater with an already developed solid defensive structure, was making me nervously rant and heavily pace back and forth in this very room.

(photo credit to nhl.com)

Do not get me wrong. I have and always will be a fan of the “Scudenator.” He is a warrior and was a large contributing factor that helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup for the first time four years ago, (especially when he provided the ultimate sacrifice with his face in game 6 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final), but I wasn’t letting nostalgia get in the way of reason and logic. But then I saw this and I calmed down …

Kings announce Scuderi has been assigned back to AHL-Ontario. This was a move designed to maximize benefits of LTIR’ing a player.

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) November 1, 2016

Oh. Never mind the rant then. Sorry “Scuds.”

(photo credit to kings.nhl.com)

So Dean Lombardi and the Kings needed to (pretend to) recall Scuderi, and then (pretend) to send him back to Ontario so they could and I quote the LA Kings’ Insider Jon Rosen,

“… maximize the benefit of placing a player on long-term injured reserve (LITR).”

In other words, either Jonathan Quick or Marian Gaborik (more than likely it was Quick), was just placed on LITR. Because of that, the Kings can now exceed the NHL’s salary cap limit of $73 million. If it was Jonathan Quick, then that would mean the Kings can spend up to $5,697,380 over the cap while he is on LTIR.

(2/2) Placing Quick on LTIR makes the most sense given that it would allow the #Kings to exceed the $73M ceiling by as much as $5,697,380.

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) November 1, 2016

The Kings did this same move last season when they (pretended) to call up Nick Ebert and Jeff Schultz from Ontario when they placed Matt Greene on LTIR.

With the serious string of injuries that have plagued the Kings thus far, Lombardi looks to be putting the team in position for some possible roster moves. Whether it is to be a trade, a signing or some call ups, only time can truly tell. We will keep you updated with any further developments, and there will be further developments as I have always called Dean Lombardi a mad scientist with a law degree and something is definitely brewing in that brain of his.

STAY TUNED!!!

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