The Los Angeles Kings have signed one of their recent draft picks, inking Samuel Fagemo to a three-year entry-level contract. His contract is not expected to kick in until the 2020-21 season as he is likely headed back to the SHL this year.
Fagemo, 19, went undrafted in 2018 during his first year of eligibility but has been a target of the Kings for some time. This year they decided to spend the 50th overall pick on him after he drastically improved his skating ability and ended up one of the top young players in Sweden. In 42 regular season games with powerhouse club Frolunda, Fagemo recorded 14 goals and 25 points before blowing up in the playoffs for another six and ten in just 16 games. His team won the SHL title and would go on to win the Champions League as well, while Fagemo also suited up for Sweden at the World Juniors.
All that makes quite an impressive resume for the young forward, who will inject a healthy amount of skill into the Kings prospect pipeline. A natural goal scorer, he has shown an ability to take large developmental steps in a short period of time and could very well be challenging for a spot in Los Angeles next fall. There will be real opportunity on the Kings for young players over the next few years, something that should drive the second-round pick to get even better this year.