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Los Angeles Kings Sign Francesco Pinelli

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed another prospect, adding to an already impressive pipeline. Francesco Pinelli has inked his three-year, entry-level contract, which will start in the 2022-23 season. The deal carries an NHL cap hit of $867.5K. Pinelli currently plays for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, where he will stay through the end of the season.

Selected 42nd overall in 2021, the 19-year-old Pinelli wears the captain’s “C” for the Rangers and has 58 points in 53 games. Notably, that production has been held back by a Kitchener roster that is much weaker than usual and finds itself seventh in the OHL’s Western Conference with a 29-30-5 record. While he sits third on the team in scoring, Pinelli would likely still be considered the best overall forward in the group (though 17-year-old Carson Rehkopf is certainly coming for that spot) and a good bet to eventually reach the NHL in some capacity.

Still, that is no guarantee, especially in a system that is bursting with talented prospects like the one in Los Angeles. It’s hard to find a deeper group, which already has a dozen young talents signed and even more coming. The good thing is that there’s no rush for Pinelli, who will be returning to the OHL for next season unless he somehow makes the Kings out of camp. The young forward will not be eligible for the AHL in 2022-23, given he only turned 19 today.

Because of that youth, Pinelli’s contract is also eligible to slide for next season should he go back to junior, meaning he’s really signed through 2025-26 already.

Los Angeles Kings Activate Brendan Lemieux, Matt Roy

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The Los Angeles Kings have activated both Brendan Lemieux and Matt Roy from injured reserve, giving them some reinforcements for an important game tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. Because it is past the trade deadline, the team is not limited by a 23-man roster anymore, meaning corresponding moves aren’t necessarily required.

Lemieux, 26, last played over a month ago, leaving a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period and landing on the shelf. The bang-and-crash winger has recorded eight goals and 11 points in 44 games this season, racking up 86 penalty minutes and 108 hits along the way. Notably, he also missed time with a five-game suspension for biting, during an altercation with Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.

While he doesn’t provide a ton of offense, Lemieux does give them another bottom-six option to work with while they chase a Pacific Division playoff spot, something that certainly isn’t guaranteed after some recent scuffles.

Roy, 27, is the much bigger addition, returning after several weeks on the sideline himself. In each of the two games before he suffered an injury, Roy had actually logged nearly 27 minutes of ice time, stepping into a huge role with so many other Kings’ defenders on the injured list. Overall, the seventh-round pick has put together quite the season for himself, averaging close to 21 minutes a night through 58 games and registering 17 points.

He’s not the flashiest player, but given how many injuries the Kings have dealt with on the back end, Roy’s return will be a welcome sight. He practiced on the top pairing with Sean Durzi yesterday, though things could obviously be switched in his first game back given how long he’s been out.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan Sent Back To Ontario

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  • The Kings have returned forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan to Ontario of the AHL, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 22-year-old was brought up on an emergency recall on Thursday but didn’t see any game action. Anderson-Dolan doesn’t have any points in seven games with Los Angeles this season but has been quite productive with the Reign, notching 41 points in 45 games.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Kim Nousiainen

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After signing him to an amateur tryout for their AHL affiliate earlier this week, the Los Angeles Kings have now inked Kim Nousiainen to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in the 2022-23 season and carries an average annual value of just over $859K.

Nousiainen, 21, was selected 119th overall in the 2019 draft, the seventh player off the board for the Kings. He’s now also the seventh player from that class to sign his entry-level deal, following Andre Lee’s just a few days ago. Standing just 5’8″, the undersized defenseman has been a regular in Liiga for three seasons, suiting up with KalPa Kuopio. This season in 35 games, Nousiainen recorded four goals and 14 points, which actually ranked second among the team’s defensemen.

Just last month, the Kings’ prospect pool was ranked second in the NHL by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, and Nousiainen landed 18th in their group. Wheeler suggested at the time that it would be prudent to bring the young defenseman into the system and give him a chance to prove himself at the AHL level–exactly what they’ve now done.

Not really an overly offensive player, Nousianien is a non-stop workhorse whose feet never stop moving and even engages physically more than you might expect from such a small frame. Whether that frame can handle those kinds of minutes in North America is unclear at this point, but he’s obviously done enough to land a contract from the Kings. The next step is proving he can compete in the AHL, on an Ontario Reign team he joined this week.

Kings Sign David Hrenak And Andre Lee

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The Kings have signed one of their college prospects as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed goaltender David Hrenak to a one-year, entry-level deal.  The contract will be for the 2022-23 season and will carry an AAV of $925K.  Later in the evening, the team confirmed Hrenak’s deal while also announcing a two-year, entry-level pact for Andre Lee.

Hrenak, 23, was a fifth-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2018 (144th overall) and recently wrapped up his college career at St. Cloud State.  This season, Hrenak played in 31 games for the Huskies, posting a 2.26 GAA with a .914 SV% (both career bests) along with a shutout.  Unfortunately, his season came to a disappointing end as he had been hospitalized with pneumonia and was only cleared to dress in case of emergency for their first-round appearance in the Frozen Four tournament, one that they eventually lost to Quinnipiac.

Hrenak will join AHL Ontario on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of this season, allowing him to get his feet wet in the pros.  Los Angeles has a pair of AHL netminders on expiring contracts in Garret Sparks (pending UFA) and Matt Villalta (pending RFA) so while the crease may be crowded for the Reign down the stretch, that won’t likely be the case for 2022-23 as at first glance, Hrenak could be taking Sparks’ place on that roster.

As for Lee, he was a seventh-round selection of the Kings in 2019 (188th overall).  He just finished up his junior year at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell where he put up career highs in goals (16) and points (28) while tying his career best in assists with 12 in 28 games.  A 6’5 center, Lee will also be joining Ontario on an ATO agreement for the rest of the season before his contract begins in 2022-23.

Los Angeles also announced that they have re-assigned forward Samuel Helenius to Ontario from JYP of the SM-liiga while they’ve inked defenseman Kim Nousiainen to an ATO agreement.  Helenius, a second-round pick in 2021, had three goals and six assists in 49 games in Finland’s top league while Nousianen, an unsigned 2019 fourth-rounder, had 14 points in 35 games with KalPa in Finland.

Bjornfot Nearing His Return, Lemieux Takes Part In Full Practice

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  • Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot is nearing a return from the undisclosed injury that has kept him out for the last couple of weeks, relays Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider. The 20-year-old has held down a regular spot on the third pairing for Los Angeles this season, averaging over 16 minutes a night in his sophomore year.  Meanwhile, winger Brendan Lemieux was a full participant in practice for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury three weeks ago.  He leads the Kings in penalty minutes (86) and sits second in hits (108) in his 44 contests.

Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets Complete Minor Trade

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The Los Angeles Kings have acquired Nelson Nogier from the Winnipeg Jets, sending Markus Phillips back the other way. Both players are currently playing in the minor leagues and will likely report to their new respective AHL affiliates. Additionally, the Kings have recalled Quinton Byfield, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and Jordan Spence, after they were sent down on paper to become eligible for the AHL playoffs.

The swap brings a slightly older defenseman to the Ontario Reign in Nogier, but also one with considerably more experience. The 25-year-old has played 11 games in the NHL and is in his sixth full season of professional hockey, after being drafted 101st overall in 2014. Through 25 games with the Manitoba Moose this season he has six points, which is actually not all that far off his AHL career-high of 13. On an expiring contract, he’ll be a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, making this essentially a deadline rental for the Reign, who are second in the Pacific Division and looking for a Calder Cup.

In Phillips, the Moose are getting a 23-year-old who is in just his second full season of pro hockey, after a long career in the OHL. Selected 118th overall in 2017, the left-shot defenseman has five points in 38 games this season and will be a restricted free agent in the summer, without arbitration rights. While he could potentially go unqualified, he’ll at least get a chance down the stretch to show the Jets organization he’s worth another contract, even if it is of the two-way variety.

Los Angeles Kings Extend Blake Lizotte

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As the league continues its trade deadline frenzy, the Los Angeles Kings have decided to complete a little contract work. Blake Lizotte has signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings, one that will carry an average annual value of $1.675MM. Lizotte was a pending restricted free agent but is now under contract through 2023-24.

After once again proving that he can handle his own as a depth center, the undersized Lizotte is rewarded with a nice raise. Undrafted, the former USHL star exploded onto NHL radars while at St. Cloud State and immediately stepped into the highest level after signing with the Kings in 2019. He has played 58 games for the Kings this season, adding eight goals and 17 points while being a strong contributor on the penalty kill.

While he isn’t pummelled with defensive zone faceoffs like some depth centers–because of the presence of both Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault–Lizotte still isn’t gifted easy minutes for the Kings and yet continues to find success in terms of possession statistics. That has made him a worthwhile extension candidate, especially as the team continues to improve.

A deal like this doesn’t offer a ton of upside, but it’s a nice reward for a hard-working player that was earning just $800K this season. Lizotte will still be a restricted free agent when it expires.

Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators Complete Minor Trade

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Amid a flurry of moves containing NHL-caliber players, the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings have finalized a swap of two players with one game of NHL experience between them. The Kings have acquired defenseman Frederic Allard from the Predators in exchange for forward Brayden Burke. This is a swap of AHL players right as both teams’ AHL affiliate squads look set to qualify for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. The Kings’ affiliate, the Ontario Reign, are second in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators’ affiliate, are third in the AHL’s Central Division, so this trade was likely done with their seasons in mind.

The Kings, in getting Allard, get the player in the deal that has made it to the NHL before. Allard has played in one game, in 2020-2021, and was one of the Predators’ two 2016 third-round picks, along with Rem Pitlick. The 24-year-old defender has five points in 36 AHL games and spent time playing in Austria in 2020-2021. The Kings’ defense is currently ravaged by injuries, and a whole host of players including Drew Doughty, Sean Walker, Matt Roy, Tobias Bjornfot, and Mikey Anderson have been unavailable. They recently traded a seventh-rounder to Detroit for defenseman Troy Stecher, and now make this deal as another move to help shore up that beaten-up blueline. Allard is also a pending restricted free agent, which means that the Predators will have the opportunity to retain him should they deem him a good fit in their organization.

The Predators deal Allard for Burke, who has been an AHL player since 2018-19. He has been a decent scorer at that level, with his best season coming in 2019-20, when he had 52 points in 51 games. He now has 17 points in 31 games for the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners this season and figures to help as a secondary scorer for the Admirals. Given that he is a pending group-six unrestricted free agent, it is unlikely that the Predators have Burke in their long-term plans. But he should be able to reinforce Milwaukee for their playoff chase, and the Predators have historically been interested in having success at the AHL level, which is where Burke has been for the entirety of his professional career.

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Troy Stecher

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The Los Angeles Kings have been shopping for a defenseman and were linked to a number of major targets. However, with the likes of Hampus Lindholm, Ben Chiarot, and Mark Giordano now off the table and Jakob Chychrun looking increasingly unlikely to be dealt before the deadline, L.A. has decided to go bargain hunting. The Detroit Red Wings have announced that they have traded defenseman Troy Stecher to the Kings in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick. Los Angeles has confirmed the deal as well.

Now, adding Stecher does not remove the Kings from making further deadline additions on the back end, particularly when it comes to long-term pieces like Chychrun. Though just 27 years old and still carrying some name recognition from when he was an up-and-coming blue liner with the Vancouver Canucks, Stecher is merely a rental depth option for the Kings. Stecher has only played in 16 games with Detroit this season, with two points and a career-low 15:08 averaget time on ice. He is now longer the player he was once expected to become and is just an extra option on defense in L.A., hence the low cost of a last-round pick.

With that being said, defensive depth is still highly valuable to the Kings. The club has been inundated with injuries of late, with top-four defenders Drew Doughty, Matt Roy, and Michael Anderson all sidelined, not to mention Sean Walker out for the year. The team has been fortunate enough to get Alex Edler back in the lineup after a long-term absence, but they still have five rookie or sophomore defensemen on the roster right now. Stecher brings some much-needed experience and veteran ability to the team to help with this short-term injury bug and could play himself into a regular role even once the team is back at full strength. Stecher and Edler are familiar having played together in Vancouver and it will be interesting to see if they are paired once again in L.A. and if that could be a stable, successful partnership.

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