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Kings Sign Joel Edmundson To Four-Year Contract

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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.

Kings Acquire Tanner Jeannot

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The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Tanner Jeannot from the Tampa Bay Lightning, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic (Twitter link). In return, Tampa receives Pick 118 in this year’s draft and L.A.’s second-round pick in 2025, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com (Twitter link). The move has since been confirmed by the team.

This trade quickly succeeds Mikhail Sergachev’s move to the Utah Hockey Club. The two moves combine to free up $11.165MM in cap space, massively supporting Tampa’s pursuit of franchise centerman Steven Stamkos. It also quickly succeeds Tampa’s acquisition of Jeannot, which came ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, with the Lightning acquiring the winger for Callan Foote and one pick in each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds.

Jeannot recorded 24 goals, 41 points, and 130 penalty minutes in his rookie 2021-22 season with the Nashville Predators. But he’s struggled to find that same spark since, totaling just eight goals and 18 points in 75 games with Tampa Bay between last season and this season. With the Lightning facing a cap crunch that may cost them the face of their franchise, they’ve been forced to accept defeat – winning back less than half of the assets they gave up for Jeannot.

But while the trade may illicit soul searching on Tampa’s end, it stands as a low-cost, high-upside move for the Kings. Jeannot carries a low-stakes $2.665MM cap hit – setting him up well to fill the girtty, high-energy bottom-six forward role left open by Carl Grundstrom’s trade to the San Jose Sharks. The Kings have used Grundstrom’s grit to good effect, and could be getting a more dynamic iteration in Jeannot, who shows much more drive down the ice and confidence on the puck. Los Angeles will be searching for any boost they can receive after a middling 2023-24 campaign, though the gritty style that’s led Quinton Byfield to success could also be exactly what Jeannot needs to rediscover his groove.

Canadiens, Kings Swap First Round Picks

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The Montreal Canadiens have traded up to pick 21 in the 2024 NHL Draft, sending the Los Angeles Kings picks 26, 57, and 198 in return, per Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period (Twitter link).

Montreal, who also owns pick five, brings their two day-one selections just hours before they’ll take the podium. And they may not be done, per TSN’s Darren Dreger, who shares that the team is interested in finding another way into the Top 10, even if it means moving down from fifth overall (Twitter link). Dreger also mentions that Montreal is involved in player trade-talks as well, potentially opening the team up to an incredibly eventful day as they’re getting settled in to Vegas.

The 2022 NHL Draft marked the first time that Montreal has had two first-round picks since 2007 when they drafted Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty. The team succeeded those picks with Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar in 2022 – and is now looking to make the most of the pair of picks in a strong 2024 first round. The class features talents at every spot, with players like Cole Eiserman and Berkly Catton bringing high skill to the wings, Michael Hage and Trevor Connelly standing as high-scoring centers, and Carter Yakemchuk and Anton Silayev potential fallers on defense. Even at five and 21, the Canadiens should have plenty of opportuntiy to bring in impactful lineup pieces.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles builds out their pool of future assets without losing too much stock on day one. It will be L.A.’s first time in the first round since 2021, when they selected Brandt Clarke eighth-overall. The Kings now have six picks in this year’s draft, more than they wielded in either 2021 or 2023, though three of their selections come in the sixth and seventh rounds. The Kings could afford some robust additions to their prospect pool, with little to look at besides Clarke and Jordan Spence. That should set the team up to take the best player available at each of their selections, regardless of positioning, as they look to find players who can quickly support their drive back to the postseason. At 25, they could be within reach of hardy forwards like Emil Hemming, Cole Beaudoin, and Jett Luchanko.

Kings, Sharks Swap Kyle Burroughs, Carl Grundström

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The Kings have acquired right-shot defenseman Kyle Burroughs from the Sharks in exchange for the signing rights to RFA winger Carl Grundström, the team announced Thursday.

Burroughs, 28, is coming off a difficult year in which he played a role he was never meant for. After breaking into the league as a fringe bottom-pairing presence with the Canucks in 2021, he landed a three-year, $3.3MM commitment from San Jose on the open market last summer.

After the Sharks traded away reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson to the Penguins later in the summer, it was clear there would be a domino effect on the rest of their defense corps. Many players were projected to be overtaxed while compensating for Karlsson’s loss on a team that was squarely and correctly projected to be a lottery contender. Perhaps no one was overworked more than Burroughs, who was thrust into top-four duties alongside Mario Ferraro.

At first glance, it went about as well as one would expect. Averaging north of 19 minutes per game, Burroughs managed two goals and six assists for eight points in 73 games while posting a -42 rating, worst in the league among defensemen. A more detailed look at his stats does yield some promising signs, though. His pairing with Ferraro controlled 48.1% of expected goals when deployed together, the best among any Sharks pairing with more than 100 minutes played this season. He also met expectations physically, leading the Sharks with 233 hits (fourth in the NHL) and placing second in blocks with 134.

But with younger righties Ty Emberson and Henry Thrun deserving of more minutes next season, alongside an expected UFA addition next week, Burroughs was on the cusp of being the odd man out on the San Jose blue line. While obviously not equipped for top-four minutes long-term, the 2013 seventh-round pick does carry signs that he can be effective in an everyday bottom-pairing role.

In Los Angeles, he’ll fight for a third-pairing role alongside Andreas Englund, who would immediately become one of the most fearsome, hardest-hitting duos in the league. Englund played much less than Burroughs on a nightly basis last season, averaging 13:13 per game, but still managed to finish inside the top 20 in hits league-wide. The Kings do have a pair of up-and-coming righties in Jordan Spence and 2021 eighth-overall pick Brandt Clarke, but both (especially the latter) are candidates to slide into second-pairing duties with Matt Roy likely heading elsewhere in free agency.

While parting with Burroughs, the Sharks pick up some checking forward depth in Grundström. The 26-year-old is now on his third NHL team after being drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2016 but being moved to the Kings before making his NHL debut three years later. They have three days to re-sign him or issue him a qualifying offer to retain his signing rights as an RFA this summer.

Injuries limited Grundström to 50 games last year, in which he scored eight goals and 12 points in fourth-line minutes (10:56 per game). The Swede has had decent possession metrics in SoCal and is also a frequent hitter with a good shot when he gets the chance. He’ll look to carry that solid energy play up north to the Bay, where he joins a bottom-six forward group that’s already seen two new names added this summer in Ty Dellandrea and Barclay Goodrow.

The Sharks can expect a new deal for Grundström to come in at around $1.5MM for a one-year term, Evolving Hockey projects. With over $30MM in projected cap space next season, though, the prospective $400K increase on Burroughs is nearly meaningless.

Burroughs remains under contract for two more seasons in Los Angeles. He can hit the UFA market again in 2026.

Kings Among Teams Expected To Show Interest In Jake Guentzel

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Winger Jake Guentzel is set to be one of the top players in this year’s UFA class.  The Hurricanes haven’t given up on trying to re-sign the veteran, per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta (Twitter link) who adds that the Kings and Red Wings are among the teams that are expected to show interest should the 29-year-old make it to the open market.  Guentzel split the season between Pittsburgh and Carolina, who made him their big addition at the trade deadline.  He’s coming off his third-straight 30-goal campaign and has averaged over a point per game in four of the last five years.  Guentzel also had a good playoff showing, notching nine points in 11 contests, and is just below a point per game for his postseason career.  That certainly has him well-positioned to earn a significant raise on the $6MM he has been making since 2019-20.

Kings Sign Samuel Fagemo To One-Year Extension

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4:50 p.m.: It’s a two-way deal for Fagemo, per PuckPedia. It carries an AHL salary of $375K with a $425K guarantee.

3:07 p.m.: The Kings have signed winger Samuel Fagemo to a one-year extension worth $775K, per a team release.

Fagemo, 24, was a second-round pick of Los Angeles in 2019 but is already on his second stint with the team. After failing to land a spot on their opening night roster last fall, he was waived and subsequently claimed by the Predators.

His stint in Nashville was nothing to write home about, recording one goal in four games while playing fourth-line minutes. He was waived again by the Preds in November, upon which he was picked up again by the Kings. Since L.A. was the only team to submit a claim, he was assigned directly to the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Fagemo only saw brief call-up action the rest of the way with the Kings, but he was one of the best players in the AHL this season with the Reign. The Swedish sniper lit the lamp 43 times in just 50 games, finishing with 62 points and a +10 rating. He finished tied for 10th in the league in points outright, and his 1.24 points per game were the most among skaters with at least 20 appearances. However, he didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet in four games with Los Angeles after being re-acquired.

However, after his showing with the Reign, the risk of losing him on waivers again in October is sky-high. With Viktor Arvidsson and Trevor Lewis heading for free agency next month and Pierre-Luc Dubois out of the picture after being traded to the Capitals, there’s more than enough opportunity for Fagemo to snag a spot out of camp, potentially on a scoring-oriented third line.

Fagemo would have had arbitration rights had he reached restricted free agency next week. He’ll have them again upon his extension’s expiry.

Kings Sign Alex Turcotte To Three-Year Extension

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed 2019 fifth-overall pick Alex Turcotte to a three-year, league-minimum extension. The deal will be two-way in year one and one-way in years two and three, per Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link).

Turcotte was set for restricted free agency this summer after finishing out his three-year, $7.4MM entry-level contract this season. He spent much of the deal in the minor leagues, totaling 85 points in 126 AHL games over the last four seasons. The high-scoring was enough to routinely earn Turcotte NHL call-ups, though he went without a point through 12 NHL games over the last two seasons, and only posted four points in the 20 he played in this year.

Turcotte hasn’t yet fought his way above the NHL’s fourth line but the Kings aren’t giving up on him yet, with the structure of his new deal suggesting they’re setting him up for one more strong development year in the minors, then awarding him two years to carve out a daily role. There’s certainly talent worth the price of admission in Turcotte, who formed a fantastic duo with wingers Matt Boldy and Trevor Zegras during his two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Despite Boldy’s powerful drive and Zegras’ flashy hands, it seemed like it was Turcotte’s quick playreading and crisp passing that made the most consistent impact. Los Angeles bit on his upside, taking him in the spot immediately ahead of Moritz Seider, Dylan Cozens, Philip Broberg, and Zegras. That’s a choice L.A. is likely kicking themselves for now, though Turcotte will at least have another chance to work towards NHL impact.

Free Agent Focus: Los Angeles Kings

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Free agency is now less than two weeks away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Kings.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Quinton Byfield – The Kings were hoping that the 2020 second-overall pick would take a big step forward and become a key top-six threat for them in 2023-24.  Mission accomplished on that front.  After being more of a role player in his first couple of years, he was regularly in the top six while taking a regular turn on the power play.  Byfield also did so while playing primarily on the wing which isn’t his natural position.  That could change moving forward now with Pierre-Luc Dubois in Washington, opening up a path for Byfield to move back down the middle.  A bridge contract might be the safer route here, checking in somewhere around the $4MM mark but if GM Rob Blake thinks that Byfield has another level to get to, he could try to pursue a long-term agreement, one that would likely push past $7MM per season.

F Arthur Kaliyev – In his first two seasons, Kaliyev was a decent secondary scorer, albeit an inconsistent one.  However, he struggled considerably in 2023-24 and following the midseason coaching change that saw Jim Hiller take over, the 22-year-old hardly played after that.  With a qualifying offer of just $874K, he shouldn’t be a non-tender risk but it’s more than evident at this point that a change of scenery would be a good idea for both sides.

F Blake Lizotte – After a breakout showing in 2022-23, Lizotte saw his output drop this season, tallying just 15 points in 62 games.  He’s a regular on the penalty kill and plays with some jam despite his smaller stature but he’s owed a $1.675MM qualifying offer, one that also carries arbitration rights.  With a 34-point effort the year before, it’s probable that the award would check in over $2MM.  For the limited role he fills, is that the best use of their money or would a non-tender make more sense while they look to fill that role with someone cheaper?

D Jordan Spence – The 23-year-old was basically a full-time NHLer for the first time this season, getting into 71 games.  He was predominantly limited to playing on the third pairing with a bit of power play time but he still managed a respectable 24 points which will definitely help his case in negotiations.  Given the limited role, it doesn’t make much sense for a long-term agreement to be worked out but a short-term bridge deal worth a little over $2MM might be the right fit.

Other RFAs: F Samuel Fagemo, F Carl Grundstrom, G Jacob Ingham, F Tyler Madden, G Erik Portillo, F Alex Turcotte

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Viktor Arvidsson – Suffice it to say, this was not the ideal walk year for the 31-year-old.  Arvidsson missed the first 50 games of the season after undergoing back surgery, then landed back on LTIR just four games after returning.  He did come back to finish off the year and played in the playoffs but suited up just 21 times combined.  Still, Arvidsson has a track record of being a quality top-six piece with five 20-goal seasons under his belt while being a strong possession player which helps.  But with the injuries, it’s hard to see teams offering up a long-term deal.  Instead, the offers might be more of the three-year variety while he’s a candidate to opt for a one-year pillow contract in the hopes of showing he’s fully healthy, thereby bolstering his value for the 2025 open market.

F Trevor Lewis – A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Lewis has been an effective fourth liner for quite some time.  His production has dropped compared to his first stint with the Kings when he was more in his prime but he’s still worth signing to fill the role he has the last few years.  That will be a contract at or close to the league minimum salary but he should get another deal to give him a shot at reaching 1,000 career regular season games, a number he’s 26 shy of at the moment.

D Matt Roy – Roy has been one of the more under-the-radar blueliners over the past few years.  He’s a stable second-pairing player who can move up when needed while also helping to anchor the penalty kill.  On top of that, he’s a right-hand shot, the side that’s always in high demand.  Los Angeles would undoubtedly love to bring him back but the 29-year-old is well-positioned to cash in and this is his best shot at a big long-term deal.  After making $3.15MM the last three seasons, he could come close to doubling that on the open market.

G Cam Talbot – The veteran wound up settling for a low-cost contract that ultimately paid him $2MM with bonuses; $1MM of that will be on the Kings’ books in 2024-25.  Still, the move worked out well for both sides as the 36-year-old made 52 starts, posting a 2.50 GAA with a .913 SV%, more than respectable numbers for someone at that price point.  With their acquisition of Darcy Kuemper, it’s likely that Talbot moves on but as one of the more proven netminders on the market, he should be able to land another one-year deal, perhaps with a bit more guaranteed money this time around.

Other UFAs: D Kevin Connauton, G Pheonix Copley, G Aaron Dell, F Hayden Hodgson, F Mikhail Maltsev, D Steven Santini, F T.J. Tynan

Projected Cap Space

After being rather limited spending-wise last summer, the Kings have $23.45MM in flexibility for next season.  Granted, they have as many as ten players to sign with that money with a fair-sized chunk of that being earmarked for Byfield’s contract and the re-signing or replacing of Arvidsson and potentially Roy.  Nonetheless, Blake has a chance to make another splash this summer, one he’ll be hoping works out a lot better than the one he made around this time a year ago.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Capitals And Kings Swap Pierre-Luc Dubois, Darcy Kuemper

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TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Washington Capitals and Los Angeles Kings are working on a one-for-one swap to see Pierre-Luc Dubois head to Washington and goaltender Darcy Kuemper head to the Kings. LeBrun also mentions that no salary will be retained in the deal. The Kings organization has confirmed the deal.

Although there were no major rumblings that Dubois would be moved this offseason, it makes sense on paper given his no-move clause will start in only a few weeks. The Capitals will now be on the hook for the remaining seven years and $59.5MM remaining on Dubois’ extension.

Washington will now mark the fourth team of Dubois’ career after being involved in two separate trades prior. During the 2020-21 NHL season, Dubois was sent to the Winnipeg Jets in a deal that landed Patrik Laine with the Columbus Blue Jackets. With an apparent distaste for the Jets organization, Dubois was traded to the Kings organization last summer in a deal that saw Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari head to Manitoba.

After posting back-to-back 60-point seasons in Winnipeg, Los Angeles originally thought Dubois would make a perfect addition as the team’s second-line center for many years to come, and even replace Anze Kopitar as the team’s top centerman when he eventually hangs up his skates. However, Dubois failed to deliver on expectations that come with an $8.5MM salary with the Kings, scoring only 16 goals and 40 points this past season.

Dubois’ offensive production was not the only thing to slip in his first season in California, as both his defensive and possession metrics also saw a decline. Nevertheless, although inconsistency has plagued him for much of his career, Dubois is still only 25 years old giving him plenty of time to become a dependable player on any team.

Dubois should have access to a much larger role in Washington given that the team has seen two top-centerman leave the organization in recent years. Nicklas Backstrom has more than likely played his last game in the NHL after failing to fully recover from hip-resurfacing surgery while Evgeny Kuznetsov was shipped off to the Carolina Hurricanes at last year’s deadline after struggling to put up points.

The Capitals will likely start Dubois as the team’s second-line center with Dylan Strome creating solid chemistry with franchise legend Alex Ovechkin, but Dubois gives the team a lot of flexibility at the top of their forward core. Although he is not a very physical player, Dubois carries a big frame which could allow more ice to open up for Ovechkin.

On the other side of the deal, Kuemper’s inclusion in the deal gives Los Angeles some much-needed certainty in the crease while opening up another $3.25MM in cap space. Likewise, this means that the Capitals have firmly committed to Charlie Lindgren as the team’s top goaltender heading into the 2024-25 NHL season. After the swap, the Kings now have $23.45MM in cap space but do have a couple of restricted free agents to bring back into the fold.

It will be interesting to see if Kuemper can rediscover his game in California, as he had not been very consistent throughout his time with the Capitals. In 2021-22, then the starting goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche, Kuemper backstopped his team to a Stanley Cup Championship which would later earn him a five-year, $26.25MM deal with Washington on the open market.

Throughout his time in the United States capital, Kuemper started in 86 games for the Capitals in two seasons earning a 35-40-10 record while carrying a .902 save percentage and 3.03 goals against average. In any case, Kuemper should benefit from a much stronger defensive core in Los Angeles as the team only allowed 2296 shots against this past season which was good for fourth in the NHL.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report Dubois had been traded to Washington. 

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report that Kuemper was included in the trade. 

LeBrun was the first to break the full trade details. 

Snapshots: Byfield, Necas, Ehlers, Helenius

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The Los Angeles Kings are set to face the consequences of their drafting this summer, with each of Quinton Byfield, Arthur Kaliyev, Jordan Spence, and Alex Turcotte set to enter restricted free agency. Of the quartet, only Byfield has emerged as a legitimate NHL option, stamping that sentiment with 20 goals and 55 points in 80 games this season. Byfield held onto a role on the team’s second-line and second power-play unit, and will now be paid accordingly per John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor, who projects a $6MM cap hit and eight years of term on Byfield’s next deal.

Hoven explained that Byfield’s lack of multi-season success likely holds him from too hefty of a price tag and makes the interim cost of a bridge deal hard to gauge. The Kings are also face at least one major free agent in every year between 2026 and 2030 – and likely wouldn’t be too keen on circling back to Byfield’s negotiations on top of it. Through Hoven’s projections, Byfield would earn an admirable salary – thanks to a strong season and his 2020 second-overall selection – and gains the confidence of a long-term deal without signing into his 30s. The deal also works for the team, who have $20.2MM in projected cap space to sign 10 pending free agents this summer. Byfield earning $6MM would leave plenty of room for the Kings to re-sign strong lineup pieces like Matt Roy, Viktor Arvidsson, and Cam Talbot.

Los Angeles had to wait for Byfield’s breakout but seems to have finally situated him in a role he’s comfortable with. They’ll hope he can build on his commendable scoring on a new deal next season, though with negotiations could become complicated with no recent comparable contract for Byfield’s delayed breakout.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes will be looking for like-value players in their search for a Martin Necas trade, shares Chris Johnston on the Chris Johnston Show. Johnston went on to mention Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers as a situation where a swap could make sense. Ehlers is in a similar situation to Necas – tentatively on the trade block after a successful season and capable of holding down a confident top-six role. Necas is a pending restricted free agent this summer, due for his first major pay raise following the end of a two-year, $6MM bridge contract. Ehlers’ already makes $6MM each season, though he’s set to enter unrestricted free agency next summer. Both players are due for lofty salaries on their next deals after each showing the potential to reach 60 or more points in one season. Johnston was hesitant to speak too confidently about a swap happening, though it could certainly make sense for a Hurricanes team in the midst of their Stanley Cup window and a Jets team still a few years away.
  • Star 2024 NHL Draft prospect Konsta Helenius expressed a desire to move to the NHL as quickly as possible in an interview with Adam Kimelman of NHL.com. Helenius told Kimelman, “I played against NHL guys. Of course it gives me confidence because I think I did a great job against them – I think I’m very closet to the NHL.” Kimelman went on to explain that Helenius is not just pushing himself to be an NHL player, but to be one of the best Finns to ever appear in the league. That kind of enthusiasm should boost the excitement around him ahead of the draft, though he’s already a top 10 pick on many public scouting boards. Regardless of where he goes, though, it seems Helenius is much more focused on seizing the opportunity of his first NHL training camp.

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