Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is out week-to-week with a foot injury, the team announced Friday.
The news rules out Kopitar for Los Angeles’ home matchup with the unbeaten Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Beginning Tuesday, the Kings (1-3-1) play five road games in eight nights against the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks.
Kopitar, 38, was hurt when he took a puck to the foot Monday during a 4-3 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. He sat out Thursday as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Kings 4-2.
The legendary Slovenian center’s four assists through four games raised his career points total to 1,282. He has 440 goals in 1,458 games, all with the Kings, who drafted him 11th overall in 2005.
Kopitar, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, plans to retire at the end of the season, his 20th in the NHL.
With Kopitar shelved, Philip Danault centered Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko on the first line against the Penguins. Alex Laferriere skated with Kempe and Kuzmenko at Friday’s practice.
Coach Jim Hiller’s club is in the midst of an early three-game losing streak. The Kings’ lone win came Oct. 8 when they edged the Vegas Golden Knights 6-5 in a shootout.
