LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Erik Portillo

Before we get to that, he made his NHL debut the day after Thanksgiving against the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings won the game 2-1, giving Portillo his first-ever NHL victory. After being loaned back to the AHL when Darcy Kuemper was activated from IR, Portillo made nine starts and one relief appearance, and allowed three goals or fewer in eight of them (.909 sv%).

Following that hot streak, Portillo hit a bad slump, and hard. In his following seven starts, Portillo surrendered four goals or more in four of his starts (.721 sv%). Talk about hitting a bump in the road. Just when it looked like he was turning a corner, an injury kept him out of game action for the rest of the year. His final game came on February 17th, where he stopped 24 of 26 shots in a 3-2 overtime win for the Reign over the Calgary Wranglers.

Portillo finished the year with a 15-5-2-1 record with a 2.82 goals-against average, .889 save percentage, and no shutouts; a far drop off from his rookie year.

2025-26 outlook

Portillo is entering the second year of a three-year contract he signed last summer. Since he is waiver-exempt and the Kings have their goalie tandem set in stone, barring any injuries, Portillo is expected to start the year in the AHL.

Portillo, part of a strong goalie pipeline in the Kings’ system, has shown flashes of promise. However, an area of improvement will be his rebound control, which has been a main focus of development since he turned pro. Having not played in a game for as long as he has, it could take him time to get into the flow of things.