The circumstances were particularly meaningful for Pittsburgh forward Blake Lizotte, who started his NHL career with the Kings and had 106 points (37 goals, 69 assists) in 320 games for them. This was his first game at Crypto.com Arena as a visitor, but the LAFD hat he wore after the morning skate reflected the larger circumstances.

The Los Angeles Kings honored firefighters and first responders in the first game back in their downtown arena since the catastrophic wildfires that devastated large parts of Los Angeles.

While adding a player like Palmieri could address immediate needs, it won’t be simple for the Kings. Right now, Los Angeles has $10.9 million in cap space. Once Drew Doughty is activated from LTIR, however, that space will evaporate as Doughty carries a cap hit of $11 million.