Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the Los Angeles Kings are close to signing free agent defenseman Joel Edmundson to a four-year, $15.2MM contract. The deal has been made official, per CapFriendly, moving Edmundson to the West Coast and completing the feat of playing in all four divisions.
Edmundson was a popular defender at the 2024 Trade Deadline, with his rights ultimately being moved from the Washington Capitals to the Toronto Maple Leafs, though Edmundson would play in just nine regular season games with the Leafs while nursing an undisclosed injury. He also appeared in seven postseason games, recording one assist – his lone point in 16 games with Toronto.
Amidst a turnover of their defense, and perhaps anticipating their big additions in free agency, Toronto opted to leave Edmundson unsigned, putting him back in a market excited about his hefty frame and long reach. The Kings were one of many teams tied to the defender, alongside Boston, Utah, and his original club of St. Louis, shares TSN’s Darren Dreger.
That competition may have sparked a July 1st bidding war, as Edmundson will walk away from free agency with a $350K raise from his last contract, despite posting just 32 points in 193 games over the course of the contract. He’ll look to support Los Angeles in the loss of Matt Roy, who’s held down a confident top-line role for the last three years. Top-pair minutes will likely go to Vladislav Gavrikov or Michael Anderson before they go to Edmundson, though the 31-year-old defender could be primed for a boost in ice time after middling through third-pairings over the last three seasons.
Oof. Another contract that isn’t going to age well.
Blake is as bad as they come!!! It is time for his departure. Wasting the end of Kop and Doughtys careers!!!! Guy is a bag of rocks!!
Why????? Just re-sign Roy. Younger and better.
more expensive I guess but yes it is a strange deal
Please Nooooooooo!!!!!
Someone please step in and take the decision making away from BLuc.
LAK has become exponentially worse July 1
Please stay in Toronto!!
Kings trying to get bigger on blueline, can’t blame them.
Ahh. No. He was hurt all the time
They still need some offensive help and guys are coming off the boards quickly.