Los Angeles Kings Sign Five RFAs
2:05pm: The team has also signed Mersch to a one-year, two-way deal. The 24-year old played 48 games for the Ontario Reign this year, scoring 33 points despite a knee injury that kept him out for almost two months. The former fourth-round pick made his NHL debut in 2015-16, and is still trying to make it back to the Kings.
1:05pm: The Los Angeles Kings have reached agreements with four more restricted free agents, signing Justin Auger, Andrew Crescenzi, Zachary Leslie and Kurtis MacDermid to one-year, two-way contracts that pay $650K at the NHL level. Crescenzi was the only one of the four with arbitration rights, though he declined to file earlier this month. The Kings now have three remaining RFAs to sign: Paul LaDue, Jonny Brodzinski and Michael Mersch, though none of the three filed for arbitration either.
Out of this group MacDermid may be the most interesting, though none of the four look to have much of an NHL future. MacDermid went undrafted and signed with the Kings in 2012, only to return to the OHL to develop his two-way game further. In 58 games this season with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, the 6’5″ defenseman put up 20 points and was a physical force on the ice, laying huge hits and dropping the gloves whenever necessary.
Auger, the highest draft pick of the bunch is another towering player who has some sneaky good hands and can contribute offensively at times. He, like the other three, seem destined to continue in the AHL for the foreseeable future, but Ontario fans won’t be upset about that. The club went 36-21-11 last season and should be competitive once again next year.
Minor Moves: Gravel, Gibson, Gustafsson
The Los Angeles Kings have come to an agreement with another one of their restricted free agents, signing Kevin Gravel to a one-year two-way contract worth $650K. Interestingly, Gravel had elected arbitration and was scheduled for a hearing on August 2nd, but instead took the league minimum on a one-year deal. The team did not release the guaranteed or AHL salary, likely part of why he settled.
Gravel played 49 games for the Kings last season in his first extended look with the team, registering seven points in just over 14 minutes a night. With the departure of Brayden McNabb to the Vegas Golden Knights, Gravel will likely be asked to play a bigger role and could even find himself in a full-time gig. He is still waivers exempt however, giving the team options if they think someone else is a better option on the bottom pairing.
- The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Christopher Gibson to a one-year two-way deal, bringing him back to battle with new acquisition Kristers Gudlevskis for an AHL role. In just seven games last season Gibson recorded a .912 save percentage but hasn’t been able to show the potential that made him a second-round pick in 2011. Just 24 he’s still developing as a netminder, but will have to make big strides soon if he wants to make an impact at the NHL level.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed Erik Gustafsson to a one-year deal, a contract that will send him to unrestricted free agency next summer should he not get into 39 games in the NHL this year. After playing 41 contests in 2015-16 with the Blackhawks and recording a solid 14 points, Gustafsson spent the entire season in the AHL in 2016-17. While he again showed off his offensive upside while there, scoring 30 points in 68 games, it was a disappointing year for him to not make it back to the NHL. Now with Niklas Hjalmarsson in Arizona and Brian Campbell still unsigned, there could be an opportunity for him to step up and fill a full-time role. With depth options like Michal Rozsival not being an ideal option on a full-time basis, the Blackhawks could look to newcomer Jan Rutta along with Gustafsson and Ville Pokka as potential options.
Justin Auger Accepts Qualifying Offer
- Winger Justin Auger has accepted his qualifying offer from the Kings according to CapFriendly (via Twitter). The contract will pay the league minimum $650K at the NHL level and $60K in the minors. The 23-year-old is coming off a down season where he recorded just 20 points (11-9-20) in 61 games with Ontario of the AHL.
Andrei Loktionov Signs PTO With Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have kicked off the professional tryout season, as according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, the team has signed former NHL forward Andrei Loktionov to a PTO for this fall’s training camp. Loktionov will attend camp in search of a spot on the Kings roster after spending the last three seasons in the KHL.
Selected by the Kings in 2008, Loktionov spent one outstanding season with players like Taylor Hall, Ryan Ellis and Adam Henrique in Windsor of the OHL before making the jump to professional hockey. It wasn’t long before he got a chance in the NHL, but couldn’t seem to deliver quite the same offensive jump. After bouncing around for a few years from Los Angeles to New Jersey to Carolina, Loktionov signed in the KHL where he has turned himself into a two-way force that logs big minutes for Yaroslavl.
Though this doesn’t come with the promise of an NHL contract, it’s an easy chance to give for the Kings who could desperately use his speed down the middle. He could also add another dimension to a penalty kill that was already among the league’s best, though he still isn’t an excellent faceoff man. In Russia last season he won just 48% of his draws.
There will be more PTOs given out over the summer, many to older players looking for one last chance or European free agents. Remember it doesn’t neccessarily mean the player will sign with the team he’s working out with. Last year saw Calgary snatch Kris Versteeg out from under Edmonton’s nose, something that happens fairly often.
Kings Name Pierre Turgeon As Assistant Coach
New head coach John Stevens‘ staff is complete, as the Los Angeles Kings announced this afternoon that they have hired five-time NHL All-Star Pierre Turgeon as an assistant coach. With Dave Lowry, Don Nachbauer, and Bill Ranford already in place, Stevens and the Kings are ready to go for 2017-18.
Although this will be Turgeon’s first NHL coaching positions, and really his first at all other than coaching his own kids through youth hockey, he makes up for his lack of coaching experience with more than enough playing experience in his illustrious career. The 1987 #1 overall pick is 30th all-time in assists with 812, 38th all-time in goals with 515, and 32nd in points with 1327, all accomplished over a 19-year NHL career with five teams. A teammate of Kings GM Rob Blake with the Colorado Avalanche in 2005-06, Turgeon surely impressed his new boss with his cerebral play-making and vision on the ice. Kings president Luc Robitaille described Turgeon’s new role as that of an “offensive coordinator”, as L.A. looks to cure an offense that was anemic at times last season, finishing 25th in scoring. Turgeon should also provide a boost to the team’s 15th-ranked power play, somewhat of a specialty of his during his playing days.
Turgeon’s hire becomes the third big coaching story today, as the New York Islanders swapped goalie coaches, hiring Fred Brathwaite and not extending Mike Dunham, while across town the New York Rangers made official the hiring of Lindy Ruff as an assistant coach for Alain Vigneault.
Kings Extend Jarret Stoll In Player Development Role
- After joining the Kings midseason on a player development internship, long-time NHL center Jarret Stoll will remain with Los Angeles in a part-time consulting role, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Stoll suggested as recently as January that he still hadn’t ruled out returning to playing and the part-time aspect of this position suggests that he still hasn’t completely given up hope on returning to the ice as a player. Stoll will continue to work primarily with the center prospects throughout the organization.
Free Agent Profile: Thomas Vanek
We are a week into free agency and a top ten member of the class is still available. Thomas Vanek, ranked eighth among PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents, still remains unsigned to the surprise of many. Vanek was a free agent last summer as well, after having the final season of a three-year $19.5MM contract with the Minnesota Wild bought out. While there were questions about his game then as well, and an apparent lack of interest that led to a one-year, $2.6MM deal with the Red Wings (a 60% drop in value from his $6.5MM AAV with the Wild), there was still sufficient enough demand that Detroit felt they had to lock him up right away on July 1st. This year? Not so much.
The strange thing about Vanek’s 2017 scenario is that he is coming off a strong, redeeming campaign. Rather than last summer, when he was fresh off the worst season of his career and a buyout, Vanek instead entered the free agent market this year with a 38-point season under his belt, seven more points in six less games than 2015-16. Vanek played extremely well in Detroit, posting 15 goals and 23 assists in 48 games, creating plenty of buzz around his trade deadline status. Although rumors swirled that Vanek would like to re-sign with the Red Wings, the team nevertheless got what they could for him, sending Vanek to the Florida Panthers for Dylan McIlrath and a third-round draft pick. In Florida, Vanek added two goals and eight assists in 20 games, but it wasn’t enough for the Panthers to make the playoffs and Vanek was out of time to show off for teams in need of scoring this summer.
Apparently, he needed to do more in 2016-17. With 697 points in 885 NHL games, Vanek’s history as an elite scorer is well established. A two-time 40-goal scorer and power play wizard, who has twice in his career topped a point-per-game pace for a whole season, there is little doubt about Vanek’s track record of creating offense. However, there are questions as to just how fast that offensive ability is slowing down. Vanek is certainly no longer a threat for 40 or even 30 goals, nor does he sit atop the league in man-up production any more. While he seemingly proved in Detroit that he can still deliver 40 or 50 points, he also looked slower up and down the ice and lacked the same quickness and creativity in the offensive zone that he used to have. The lack of interest could also be due to a noticeable drop-off in defensive ability. Vanek was never a Selke candidate, but he has always played a sound two-way game. As he has slowed down the past two years, his defensive stats have dropped off and he often looked solely focused with keeping up on offense, rather than playing a complete game. Endurance, and all that it entails in the back-and-forth game of hockey, simply seems to be an issue for Vanek and is unlikely to improve.
Nonetheless, 48 points is 48 points and there is a reason why Vanek was ranked #8 out of all free agents. The shooting ability and offensive instincts are still there for the 33-year-old, and 45-year-old Jaromir Jagr is still making that skill set work in the NHL. It’s only a matter of time before Vanek signs somewhere, but just like last summer, it appears as if it could be another bargain for a player whose age and pace of play seemed to be blown out of proportion while his experience and offensive contribution are under-rated.
Potential Suitors
We originally projected that Vanek would return to the Florida Panthers, who were in need of scoring help, especially with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith now in Las Vegas. However, Dale Tallon and the Panthers went in a different direction, bringing back Evgeni Dadonov from the KHL and inking a different veteran scorer, Radim Vrbata. Like Vrbata and Jagr, Vanek seems best-suited for one-year or short-term deals the rest of the way, especially if he’s struggling to establish his value. Who could use a short-term scorer? A return to Detroit could make sense. The fit worked out great and there were talks of an extension prior to the deadline trade, so the two sides might see if Lightning can strike twice. The Red Wings lack much cap space and should be rebuilding, but GM Ken Holland might have missed that memo. Another possibility could be the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are still a contender out West, just one year removed from a Stanley Cup appearance, but have had a very quiet off-season and just lost a high-scoring veteran winger in Patrick Marleau. This year’s Western Conference Cup qualifier, the Nashville Predators, traded away a key forward in Colin Wilson and have more than enough cap space to squeeze Vanek in if they so choose. The Boston Bruins could use another scoring threat in the top nine and they might not mind having Vanek, notorious for his strong play against Boston during his years with the Sabres and Canadiens, on their side for once. Finally, don’t rule out the Los Angeles Kings, who certainly don’t need to get slower, but who surely need more scoring with few dependable options left on the market.
Expected Contract
We predicted that Vanek would sign a one-year, $3MM deal this off-season, a logical next step after a bounce back season on a one-year, $2.6MM contract. That range still seems reasonable, unless the market really is as quiet as it seems and no one is willing to pony up that kind of money. The affordable contracts signed by aging scorers like Kris Versteeg (#26) and Ales Hemsky (#44) combined with the availability of Jagr (#13), Drew Stafford (#21), and Jiri Hudler (#40), doesn’t help Vanek’s cause. He’s not ready to retire and he won’t move overseas, but don’t be surprised if Vanek remains unsigned, holding out for market value, before finally signing for less than he did last summer.
Los Angeles Kings Re-Sign Nick Shore
The Los Angeles Kings have inked another one of their restricted free agents, signing Nick Shore to a one-year contract worth $925K. Shore was eligible for arbitration but did not file yesterday. He’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of the contract.
Shore spent another season in the Kings’ bottom six, contributing 17 points in 70 games. While that’s a career high, it doesn’t really show the offensive skill Shore showed at the University of Denver and in the AHL. He’s always been known as a two-way player, but he’s shown an excellent playmaking ability at every other level, something that hasn’t really appeared in the NHL.
That said, he hasn’t been given a huge opportunity to showcase that skill and could still improve in the next few years. Just 24, if he was put with more skilled players or given some real powerplay time you could easily see that point total creep up. He’ll have to prove he deserves it though, by creating offense on his own lower in the lineup. He won’t be able to be a center in the top-six as long as Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter are in LA, meaning he’d have to play the wing alongside one of them in order to move up.
The Kings amazingly only have around $6.5MM left in cap space with Kevin Gravel headed to arbitration. After just a few depth additions in Mike Cammalleri and Christian Folin, the Kings will try again with essentially the same roster that missed the playoffs last year. Getting more from players like Shore will be a necessity if they want to get back into the postseason and compete for the Stanley Cup once again.
Kings Looking To Shift Course
After missing the playoffs two seasons in a row, the L.A. Kings have fallen pretty hard from grace. After winning the cup twice in three years, it’s been one bad story after another for the team from Hollywood. Dustin Brown was stripped of the captaincy and relegated to bottom-six duties, not long after former key contributor Mike Richards found himself terminated due to a combination of on-ice, off-ice, and salary issues. Matt Greene had to be bought out entirely. Marian Gaborik is 35, signed for four more seasons, and just put together two underwhelming performances back-t0-back. The defense has gotten more top-heavy, and after losing Brayden McNabb to Vegas in the expansion draft, is set to lose another valuable piece. The head coach who earned the franchise its two rings was fired and a re-tread coach from Philadelphia will get his opportunity in 2017-18.
In an article with the L.A. Times written by Helene Elliotts, GM Rob Blake details the change in philosophy the Kings will need to adopt if they are going to find success in the near future. Ultimately, he wants to predicate the team’s identity more on speed, while staying true to their defensive style. Los Angeles has played a heavy, physical, stifling game to get their championships, and it appears that Blake is shifting away from that mantra next season. He isolated the “core” of the team as Anze Kopitar, Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, and Jonathan Quick. It might be drawn from his sentiment thatt other, more expendable pieces that may be available if the Kings continue to merely tread water.
Los Angeles did make a decent bargain-bin signing in Mike Cammalleri, who was sunk by a capsized New Jersey Devils squad last season. The potential for him to rebound and be productive is quite high, but it may not be nearly enough. The Kings beat out only Philadelphia, Colorado, New Jersey and Vancouver in terms of fewest goals scored. Carter and Pearson were the only twenty-goal scorers on the team. Guaranteed offense is an absolute need, and although former coach Darryl Sutter‘s systems were a component of the struggles, the team needs more reliable production. Their defense is still the team’s greatest organizational strength, but it does strike some as odd that a player like McNabb wasn’t shuffled elsewhere for scoring help rather than being sacrificed for nothing to expansion.
If the Kings decide at this late stage to go the free agency route, their options are solid if a bit older. If speed is the determinant factor, that may seem to rule out the likes of Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla, while leaving the possibility of a Thomas Vanek signing open. More likely, however, the Blake and the Kings will need to probe the trade market. From there, the team will likely need to surrender future assets if they hope to receive solid scoring in a returning package. The team could take a lot of offensive pressure off of Kopitar (who himself is more of a two-way player) if they could swing a trade for a solid center. Matt Duchene is likely out of their price range, and Alex Galchenyuk‘s value just skyrocketed. The bottom-six wingers are dreadfully lacking in experience, so an upgrade to the third line couldn’t hurt. Cap space is tight, however, as the team will only have over $5.5 MM after re-signing RFAs Nick Shore and Kevin Gravel. It may take outside-the-box thinking to bring the Kings back into contender status, but Blake seems primed to make moves, albeit on his own timeline.
Kings Sign Goalie Darcy Kuemper
Speculated upon for some time, and confirmed by the L.A. Times’ Helene Elliot, the Los Angeles Kings have signed Darcy Kuemper to be a backup goalkeeper next season. The contract is for only one season and comes in at the league minimum $650,000 AAV. Kuemper has struggled mightily after being the most promising goaltending prospect in Minnesota for years. The 6’5 tender is still only 27, and will look to rebound in a new location. In 102 games NHL games, he’s posted 42 wins alongside a .910 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average.
Kuemper had a down season for the Wild as Devan Dubnyk was forced to start 63 contests. Considering Jonathan Quick‘s injury troubles, Kuemper will likely have a larger workload this season as L.A. coach John Stevens tries to reduce the strain on the athletic starter. Kuemper will need to do better than his .902 last season, and he certainly seems capable of doing so. After trading Ben Bishop to Dallas, it was a possibility that the Kings would look for another goaltender on the cheap. Jeff Zatkoff is still on the squad, but general manager Rob Blake was apparently looking for more security in between the pipes.
Kuemper still has a bit of upside to his game, as his is athletic and mobile. He was the top keeper of the CHL in 2011, so the talent is there. His confidence seemed to take a major hit this last season in Minnesota, and he never seemed to fully recover back to form. Kuemper is surely not the biggest name acquired today, but he could be a high-reward pickup with only minimal risk on Los Angeles’ part.