Kings’ Mikey Anderson to return after missing four games with finger injury

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson will return to the lineup Saturday versus the Utah Hockey Club after missing the past four games due to a finger injury, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic.

Anderson’s last appearance came January 30 against the Tampa Bay Lightning where he left late in the first period and did not return after suffering the finger injury. On the season, Anderson has made 49 appearances with Los Angeles in which he has recorded five goals and nine assists for 14 points alongside 18 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating.

Originally chosen by the Kings in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Draft, the 25-year-old native of Roseville, Minn., is skating in his sixth campaign with Los Angeles. Last season, through 74 contests, Anderson scored twice and added 16 assists for 18 points, two points shy of his career-high of 20 he set the year prior. In all, through 317 career contests with the Kings, Anderson has tallied 16 goals and 56 assists for 72 points. Anderson has also added one goal and four assists for five points through 18 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Beyond Anderson, the Kings’ blue line will also see the return of Drew Doughty on Saturday as the decorated defenseman rejoins the team after representing his native Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. At the inaugural tournament, the 35-year-old native of London, Ont., put up one assist in four games en route to a first-place finish.

For Doughty, Saturday marks only his seventh outing of the season after recently returning to the lineup following an ankle injury he sustained in preseason action. Through six games, Doughty has recorded one assist and a minus-one rating while seeing nearly 27 minutes of time on ice per game.

The Kings enter Saturday’s showdown sitting third place in the Pacific Division with 65 points.