Kings goalie Jonathan Quick won't be back until mid-February

The Los Angeles Kings, currently tied for the second wild card spot and 29th in team save percentage, won’t be getting help between the pipes anytime soon.

General manager Dean Lombardi clarified Wednesday that Jonathan Quick is projected to return in mid-February, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Helene Elliott, after initially saying earlier that the netminder would be back in March.

Quick suffered a groin injury opening night and was expected to be out for three months. He opted to rehab the injury instead of have surgery.

The Kings, while 10th with a 2.64 goals-against mark, have allowed 74 goals on 711 shots, equivalent to a .896 save percentage. Quick has a career .916 save percentage.

Lombardi also said he would not “throw the kitchen sink” to rectify the problem, appearing to reference that the Kings aren’t ready to make a significant trade to bolster the position.

In his absence, the Kings have used Peter Budaj and Jeff Zatkoff. Budaj, in 25 games, is 13-7-2 with a 2.27 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. Zatkoff is 1-5-0 with a 3.20 GAA and .882 save percentage.

The Kings have scored 2.61 goals per game, good for 17th in the NHL. They remain one of the best possession teams in the league with a 53.9% Corsi, which is second in the league.