The Los Angeles Kings have retained defenseman Tobias Bjornfot for the foreseeable future, as they’ve signed the 22-year-old restricted free agent to a two-year contract extension. The deal, reported by PuckPedia, carries an annual average value of $775K and will keep Bjornfot in the Kings’ lineup through the 2024-25 season.
Selected 22nd overall by the Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft, Bjornfot has fallen a tad behind his predicted development track but still has untapped upside. Hailing from Sweden, he made his professional debut with Djurgardens IF in the SHL during the 2018-19 season, shortly before being drafted by the Kings.
Following his selection, the 6-foot, 201-pound defenseman signed a three-year entry-level contract with Los Angeles just weeks after the draft. He would play in North America immediately, mostly with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, but did earn a three-game NHL audition in his post-draft year. With COVID delaying the start of next season, though, the Kings loaned him back to Djurgarden in August 2020 before returning to Los Angeles after the calendar flipped to 2021, where he’d record his first NHL goal and add five assists in 33 games.
Bjornfot’s transition to the NHL was realized in the 2021-22 season when he became a true full-time player for the Kings, appearing in 70 out of 82 games and tallying eight assists. However, this past season, he found himself reduced to an AHL role due to the emergence of other youngsters like Sean Durzi and the trade deadline addition of Vladislav Gavrikov, which impacted his place on the Kings’ depth chart.
Despite his fluctuating role in the organization last season, Bjornfot’s two-way potential remains highly regarded by the Kings’ management. The two-year extension gives the Kings a much-needed cost-effective player to insert into their lineup, and his league minimum cap hit could result in more NHL ice time with the Kings slated to be tight against the cap’s Upper Limit throughout this season, and Durzi shipped out to the Arizona Coyotes.
Upon the contract’s expiration in 2025, Bjornfot will again become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and a qualifying offer of $814K.
Jordan Spence is better.
He’s also a right-shot, and it’ll be hard-pressed for him to earn minutes behind Doughty, Roy, and Clarke. However, there’s an opening on LA’s left side, with Edler departing
Sure. Spence has higher potential. But what an odd statement to make in this context.
More depth is generally better. The question is simply: would you rather have Bjornfoot at this salary or pass and look for alternatives?
At this price it seems like a good move.
Spence needs some playing time, but if Clarke shows up he may end up getting squeezed
Hard to compare Bjornfot and Spence since they don’t play the same position my friend.
Maybe you should do some more “homework” instead of posting a comment that makes little sense just so you could be the first comment again ;)
Surprised they could sign him so cheap on a 2 year deal! If he ends up being the 3rd pair LD full time this could be a steal.
I’m still a believer in him, has never looked “bad” when he’s played NHL games. Just nothing special really stands out.
Wilf coming off the top rope and missing with that one… ~O_o~
Like Weasel said, Spence may have a higher ceiling, but Toby’s already played a full season, is a bigger body, and can be just as/more effective as a shutdown guy if he can become stronger/more physical..
I like Toby, like the #’s, and like (yet again) another move by Blakey…
#GoKings
Kings rushed him to the NHL and he lost confidence. I still believe he has a high upside to be a Nordstrom type. Pairing him with Roy on 3rd D this year will help!