LA Kings trade O’Neill, place King on IR to reach 23-player limit

The Kings on Tuesday traded forward Brian O’Neill to the New Jersey Devils for a seventh-round pick in the 2017 draft. They also lost goaltending prospect J.F. Berube to the New York Islanders, who claimed him off waivers. Forward Dwight King was played on injured reserve because of an upper-body injury.

In addition, the Kings reached the NHL’s 23-player roster limit by assigning defensemen Vincent LoVerde and Jamie McBain to their new AHL team in Ontario. LoVerde and McBain also were placed on waivers Monday, but they cleared Tuesday at 9 a.m., and will join the Reign.

LA Kings goalie prospect Patrik Bartosak sidelined by thumb injury

Kings goaltending prospect Patrik Bartosak has a thumb injury that will require surgery, assistant general manager Rob Blake said Monday. Bartosak has been troubled by the injury on his catching hand in the past and aggravated it during training camp with the Reign of the AHL. Blake said the 22-year-old Bartosak could be sidelined for about a month to start the season. He was the Kings’ fifth-round draft pick (146th overall) in 2013 out of the Czech Republic.

New hockey season, new hockey blog

We’ve changed things up here at the Los Angeles News Group by starting a new hockey blog that will be about the Kings, Ducks and the rest of the NHL, plus we’re going to add some posts about the Ontario Reign and the San Diego Gulls and the rest of the newly-created California division of the American Hockey League. Hockey continues to grow in Southern California, so it stands to reason that we should cover more of it. So, check us out. It’s a work in a progress to start. Soon we’ll have a better banner and, hey, is that actually a photo of Dustin Penner on the home page? Wow. And that mugshot of yours truly? Double wow. Well, stick will us (pun intended). It’ll get better as the days pass and by the time the season begins Oct. 7, we should be up to full speed with waaaaaay better photos. Promise.