Turcotte to IR, Helenius Recalled for NHL Debut

One of the last players cut from training camp is now set to make his NHL debut. As reported by Mayor’s Manor late Friday, Sammy Helenius will be recalled by the LA Kings in time for Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Crypto.com Arena.

Originally drafted by LA in Round 2 of the 2021 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-6 forward has seen steady improvement in his game since — followed by his stock skyrocketing over the past 12 months.

A profile piece we did on the young Finn earlier this year, began with some background info before diving into quotes from Reign coach Marco Sturm and the player himself, as well as taking a deep dive into his development path. Take a look:

Helenius was targeted by the Kings [at the Draft] for a specific role. After playing against men in Finland’s top pro league (Liiga) the season prior and watching him win a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships, Kings scouts believed the 6-foot-6 center could be an effective penalty killer at the NHL level. They were so convinced of this, the team traded a third and fourth round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes to move up in the Draft and snag Helenius before any other teams could get their hands on him.

Finland’s national coach agreed with their assessment shortly thereafter, saying — “I like him a lot… He’s so good, he’s coachable and his attitude is good. He’s humble and he’s tough. [Should become] an NHL player because of his attitude, size and his mental makeup.”

The full article can be read here:

Helenius is Making Strides, Trending Toward Being an NHL Player for LA

Last season, Helenius nearly became joined at the hip with fellow big man, Andre Lee. Nearly everybody began talking about them as a package deal, almost like peanut butter and jelly. Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti spoke about the synergy the duo found, and why they compliment each other, during a Kings Of The Podcast episode here in June.

“I think Helenius creates a little bit more room out there and I think Lee takes advantage of it,” explained Yannetti. “I think Lee does a little bit of things with the puck slightly better than Helenius, but Helenius is able to take advantage of that. I think the things that each guy is better at complements the things that the other guy isn’t quite as good at. Playing against guys that size, even if they’re just leaning on you — you go through half a game, by the second half of the game, second half of the season, that stuff starts to accumulate.

“Way back when, when we envisioned Kopitar, Byfield, a 3C, and then Helenius at 4C someday, you hope that timeline comes together at some point, because there’s just no relief. It’s just wave after wave of having to deal with big guys; and no matter what, it tires you out. It tires you out during the season, it tires you out during a game, and it certainly tires you out in a seven-game series.”

After signing him to a three-year entry level contract in August of 2021, Helenius split time between Europe and the AHL during the 2021-22 season before beginning his full-time AHL run the following year. Over the past two-plus years in Ontario, he’s averaged over 60-plus games per season and has been a mainstay on the club’s penalty kill and served as a bottom-6 center. Sturm has also relied on him to take key faceoffs late in games.

It’s assumed that Lee and Helenius will be reunited tonight on the Kings fourth line. Almost anybody who watched them together in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs would agree, there’s something that clicks when they’re together on the same line — including Kings AGM Nelson Emerson, who spoke about that exact point here prior to training camp in September.

Bringing Helenius up to the NHL was a move necessitated by Tanner Jeannot’s suspension for a hit in Thursday’s home game vs. Vancouver.

To make room for Helenius on LA’s 23-man roster, forward Alex Turcotte is being placed on injured reserve (IR). Most likely, it will be done retroactively back to Nov. 4, as he was injured against the Predators. This would allow him to return as early as next Wednesday vs. the Avalanche. However, his status remains TBD, as he’s officially out with an upper-body (non-head) injury. He has resumed skating in recent days, wearing a red no-contact jersey.

We’ll have more on Helenius in our lineup article posted later today.

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