The Los Angeles Kings placed forward Jan Jeník on waivers Tuesday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, opening the possibility that the 26-year-old could clear and return to the American Hockey League or be claimed by another NHL club.

Jeník began the 2026-27 season on the Kings’ non-roster injured reserve list while recovering from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of training camp and the early portion of the schedule.

Once viewed as a promising prospect in the Arizona Coyotes organization, Jeník has settled into a role that has largely kept him in the minors.

The former third-round selection (65th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft) arrived in Los Angeles last March via a trade from the Ottawa Senators.

He entered the year in his second season with the Kings after re-signing on the opening day of free agency this past summer.

That one-year deal carries an $850,000 average annual value.

Last season Jeník spent the bulk of his time with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.

There, he recorded nine goals and 17 points across 41 games while finishing with an even rating.

After the trade to Los Angeles he appeared in only a pair of contests with the Ontario Reign before the campaign concluded.

Across his professional career he has logged limited NHL ice time—24 games total with Arizona and Ottawa, totaling four goals and six points—while compiling more substantial production in the AHL.

The waiver placement arrives as Jeník works his way back from the injury that sidelined him at the outset of the year.

If he clears, the Kings can assign him to Ontario, where he would continue his recovery and look to regain the form that once made him a notable prospect.

Should another team claim him, the move would end his brief second stint with Los Angeles and send the Czech forward to a new organization.

For now, the waiver process simply underscores the transitional phase of a career that has shifted from early NHL looks to steady minor-league work.