Kuzmenko available for Kings in Western 1st Round against Avalanche

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Andrei Kuzmenko will be available for the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday (3 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, FDSNSC, truTV, TNT, ALT, TVAS2, SNP, SNW, SNO).

The forward has not played since Feb. 25, when he had two assists in a 6-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Kuzmenko missed the Kings’ last 25 games of the regular season after he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He had 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 52 games.

“Everyone’s available, except for Kevin (Fiala),” Los Angeles interim coach D.J. Smith said after practice Saturday.

That means forwards Jeff Malott (undisclosed) and Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) will also be available, with Malott being the most likely of the three forwards to play after he practiced on the fourth line.

Fiala broke his leg while playing for Team Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 13. He has resumed skating, but the Kings would need to go an extended run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in order to have any chance of returning this postseason. Fiala finished fourth on Los Angeles in scoring with 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) in 56 games.

Malott, who missed the final three games of the regular season, had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 58 games while providing a physical presence on the fourth line. Turcotte, who most recently played on April 1 against the St. Louis Blues, had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 62 games.

Kuzmenko, 30, has 182 points (85 goals, 97 assists) in 271 regular-season games with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and the Kings. He had six points (three goals, three assists) in six games his lone Stanley Cup Playoff appearance last season with Los Angeles.