Kings forward Alex Turcotte was activated from the injured non-roster list Thursday and loaned to the Ontario Reign, representing a key step on the road to recovery from two concussions sustained last season by 2019’s fifth overall pick.

Turcotte, 21, could play as soon as tonight when the Reign, the Kings’ affiliate in the American Hockey League, take on the Barracuda in San Jose.

Turcotte made his NHL debut last season and skated in eight games, but a concussion sustained in AHL action during the regular season caused him to miss a couple months of action. When he returned for the postseason, he sustained another concussion against the Colorado Eagles in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Setbacks abounded as the Kings’ development camp came and went, then the rookie invitational tournament, training camp, the preseason and the start of the regular season passed without any sign of Turcotte on the ice.

“It’s been a pretty tough year with the uncertainty of not knowing when I was going to play again or feel normal again, but now I feel the best I’ve probably ever felt. I’m 100%,” Turcotte said.

Turcotte was a standout in the US National Team Development Program before registering nearly a point-per-game in his freshman season at the University of Wisconsin. In parts of two seasons with the Reign, he’s put up 39 points in 59 games with a plus-14 rating.

There was no shortage of already-strong NHL contributors taken behind Turcotte in 2019. The Ducks’ Trevor Zegras went ninth overall and was a Calder Trophy finalist last season, while the Calder winner, Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings, was taken right behind Turcotte. Matthew Boldy (Minnesota), Spencer Knight (Florida) and Cole Caufield (Montreal) were among the notable names to go outside the top 10.

Yet Turcotte’s momentum was clearly curbed by injuries, and the Kings have done a phenomenal job bringing along players with steeper than expected development curves.

They have five undrafted free agents on their roster, including a top-six forward in Trevor Moore, the versatile Alex Iafallo and heart-and-soul center Blaze Lizotte. Center Phillip Danault and winger Kevin Fiala were first-round picks, but each bounced between two other organizations before landing on firm footing in Los Angeles, where Danault flourished and Fiala is looking to establish himself as a true star.

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Perhaps the strongest parallel to Turcotte would be provided by Gabe Vilardi, a lottery pick in 2017 who proceeded to be plagued by back problems, large time gaps in his development, a rushed stint with the big club and a year spent primarily in the minors learning a new position. After signing a bargain-basement deal for one season, he’s been the Kings’ leader in both points and goals thus far this season.

Given Turcotte’s profile and promise as a prospect, he could add another element to a team full of players who proved well worth the wait.