Aug 13: The deal has been officially announced and though the Kings include an average annual value of $850,833, that doesn’t include the performance bonuses that are part of the contract. Helenius can earn $82,500 in each of the first two years of the deal, and $57,500 in the third, taking the contract total to $2,775,000 and the cap hit to $925K as CapFriendly reported.
Aug 12: The Los Angeles Kings have signed draft pick Samuel Helenius to a three-year, entry-level contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will carry an NHL cap hit of $925K.
Helenius, 18, was selected 59th overall by the Kings and is still expected to play for JYP in Finland next season. The huge forward–standing 6’6″–spent the full year in Liiga, playing pro against men sometimes more than a decade older than him. He also took part in the World Junior Championship for Finland, scoring four points in seven games.
The Kings prospect pool is deep and wide, with stars and depth players alike. Helenius will be just another name on that list but is certainly one to monitor over the next few years. The son of former NHL defenseman Sami Helenius, the young forward isn’t quite the same type of player but is still more than willing to throw his huge frame around and engage physically. If he can consistently use that size and wingspan to create offensively, he could be a valuable piece for years to come.
Good signing
His pops is a good man, I wish him well on hopefully a long and productive career.