LaBarbera, Parros Are Waived

The Kings settled on their 23-man roster Monday, placing goaltender Jason LaBarbera and forward George Parros on waivers and sending forward Lauri Tukonen to minor league Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League.

The moves left rookies Anze Kopitar, a 19-year-old center, and Patrick O’Sullivan, a 21-year-old forward, on the team.

“You can keep young players as long as they continue to develop,” Coach Marc Crawford said. “You have to be able to get them that 12-15 minutes each game.”

LaBarbera had been competing with Mathieu Garon for the backup goaltender job. The two were with the Kings last season but were dropped a notch when the team acquired Dan Cloutier from the Vancouver Canucks in July.

LaBarbera had an 11-9-2 record with a 2.89 goals-against average and .900 save percentage last season. He is in the last year of a contract that will pay him $750,000.

Parros lost out to Raitis Ivanans for the team’s enforcer job. Parros, who played 55 games with the Kings last season, was slowed by a groin injury much of training camp.

LaBarbera and Parros will be sent to Manchester if they clear waivers today.

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Forward Alyn McCauley, who has been rehabilitating from off-season knee surgery, will start the season on injured reserve. He skated with the team for the first time Monday but was limited to non-contact drills.

He is eligible to come off injured reserve at any time, but said he wouldn’t play against the Ducks in the season opener Friday.

“It’s been frustrating to come to a new team and not be able to play,” said McCauley, who was a free-agent signing this summer. “You can develop relationships and friendships off the ice, but earn the respect of everyone with how you play.”

McCauley appeared in 76 regular-season games with San Jose last season, then had surgery after the Sharks were eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now, and it’s playing again,” McCauley said. “Last year, the light at the end of the tunnel was surgery. I kept playing because if I had the surgery in March, the entire season would have been for naught.”

chris.foster@latimes.com