Fewer bodies on defence...

It's quickly turning into a shortage of bodies in the Kings' defensive corps: I have just learned that we have lost Brent Sopel, the most point-producing D-man LA has had this season.

The reason? :

"[...] because of a broken right ankle, an injury suffered in a game Oct. 25 against the Minnesota Wild."

He's got a broken bone in his left hand to go along with it. Bad bad news.

To add insult to inury:

"The Kings will also be without center Alyn McCauley longer, as he suffered what he called a hiccup in his rehabilitation from two surgeries on his left knee. McCauley, who was practicing with the team until Monday, said his knee was "a little more sore than I would like it to be. We decided the best thing was to shut it down and not push back.""

The healthy defensmen are: Visnovsky, Blake, Miller, Norstrom, Dallman, Weaver and Tverdovsky. Not a particularly fear-striking group at this stage.

If only we could still deal Craig Conroy to Ottawa for a Volchenkov...