Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi admitted on Tuesday that the rehabilitation for Jonathan Quick’s groin is going to keep him out until early March.

According to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, the original prognosis was for a mid-February return:

Quick has not resumed skating in any capacity. Lombardi acknowledged that there was a big difference between Quick getting onto the ice to test his injured groin in a limited step forward, and actually getting onto the ice and facing shots in a more structured setting. In any case, while the former may occur in the relative near future, the latter is still a ways off.

Lombardi told Rosen that he sees the team’s defense improving, but the team’s goaltending – with Peter Budaj and Jeff Zatkoff – remains subpar. To wit: They have a team goals-against average of 2.49 but have a team save percentage of .904, which is in the bottom third of the NHL.

Budaj is at .916 in 40 games; Zatkoff is at .881 in 12.

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So are the Kings thinking about another goalie move, with Quick out for another month and a half? From Rosen:

Based on team correspondence, the possibility of attempting to assign Zatkoff to Ontario via waivers while recalling Jack Campbell is a hypothetical transaction that is currently on the table for the team. Zatkoff is one of the most admired and well-liked players in the game, but the team has not been happy with his play this season, and entering tonight’s game in New Jersey, the goaltender who was signed to a two-year, $1.8-million contract on July 1 is 2-7-1 with a 2.94 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage.

Campbell, you’ll recall, was the Goalie Of The Future for the Dallas Stars who toiled in the AHL for five seasons but could never make a convincing case that he’d live up to expectations. (Injuries were also a factor.) Facing restricted free agency last summer, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Nick Ebert.

He’s 18-6-3 with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in the AHL for the Kings. And watching their former prospect come up to the NHL and play effectively would just be another pound of salt in the wound that is the Dallas Stars’ goaltending.

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The Kings probably haven’t gotten enough credit for hanging tough in the playoff race, sitting three points out of the final wild card with three games in hand. Jonathan Quick limited to one game played, Anze Kopitar having the worst season of his career, Marian Gaborik limited to 25 games and scoring four goals in them … it’s not been an easy ride, but they’re still near the bubble.

Thanks, Western Conference futility and NHL parity!

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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