Gabriel Vilardi will be sidelined for both L.A. Kings rookie camp and training camp due to a back sprain -- an injury that flared up during the summer, said general manager Rob Blake in a statement.
The team announced the injury Thursday, one day before the start of rookie camp.
The Kings stated that Vilardi will not take part in on-ice activities, and while he has started the rehabilitation process, there is no timetable right now for his return.
After scoring 29 goals and 61 points with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and being touted as a skilled two-way center, Vilardi slipped somewhat down the board before he was selected 11th overall by the Kings in June’s NHL Entry Draft.