Kings' Jonathan Quick: Will be back in March at earliest

Quick (groin) is tentatively set to be back Mar. 9 at the earliest.

Analysis:

Quick is expected to only have a couple more weeks on the sidelines. The veteran goaltender hasn't played in a game since Oct. 12, but he has been practicing partially with the Kings. Peter Budaj has been starting all season for the Kings, and he has been playing great hockey. In his past four games, though, Budaj sports a record of 1-3 with an .833 save percentage. Regardless of how Budaj plays prior to Quick's return, expect some sort of goaltender battle in Los Angeles when the calendar flips to March.