Kings forward Dwight King out for ‘an extended period of time’

More often than not, Kings Coach Darryl Sutter responds to questions about injuries with a two-word answer, a grumble or a glare.

Or sometimes all three.

But Sutter can go against type and display surprising candor about injuries, and did just that Monday, revealing that the team will be without rugged forward Dwight King for “an extended period of time.”

King’s injury occurred Saturday in the team’s final exhibition game, at Las Vegas against Colorado. “He blocked a shot in the first period, got hit with a shot,” Sutter said. “So he’s out.”

In true hockey fashion, King, despite the lower-body injury, played the rest of the game. King gives the team a physical presence up front and he has been a durable player for most of his NHL career.

His extended absence and injury concerns among the defensemen have disrupted management’s careful planning for the upcoming season. Sutter said defensemen Jake Muzzin and Matt Greene are “doubtful” for Wednesday’s season opener against the San Jose Sharks. However, Muzzin recently said he would be ready for the start of the regular season and has not appeared to have suffered any setbacks.

Additionally, the Kings placed three players on waivers: goaltender Jean-François Berube and defensemen Jamie McBain and Vincent LoVerde. Of the three, Berube could attract the most interest on the waiver wire. They also sent promising young forward Michael Mersch to their American Hockey League affiliate in Ontario (Calif.). Forward Brian O’Neill’s destination will be determined Tuesday, according to Kings’ hockey operations. It is dependent, in part, upon what the team decides to do in regard to its injured-reserve list.

Some clarity emerged elsewhere. Defenseman Jeff Schultz, who has been paired with newcomer Christian Ehrhoff, will start the season with the Kings. He spent most of last season with Manchester (N.H.) in the AHL, and appeared in nine games with the Kings in 2014-15.

“Coming into each game, it was like my last,” Schultz said of his training camp approach. “Give it my all. You never knew when that last opportunity would be.”

It was a welcome development considering his wife and infant son were to join him, traveling from Calgary to Los Angeles, later Monday.

“There’s always the possibility of different things happening,” Schultz said “They [the Kings] are probably looking for the right pairing. That’s always hard. You’ve just got to go, day by day, and see what happens.”

lisa.dillman@latimes.com