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Los Angeles Kings Sign Matt Luff, Mikey Eyssimont

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The Los Angeles Kings have completed some business, re-signing Matt Luff and Mikey Eyssimont to one-year deals. Both contracts are two-way deals and will carry NHL salaries of $700K. Both players were pending restricted free agents.

Luff, 23, has played 51 games for the Kings over the last two seasons but failed to really establish himself as an NHL force. The undrafted free agent signing out of the OHL has nine goals and 16 points in those games, but has shown a little more offensive upside at the minor league level. While Luff may receive some more opportunity in the Kings lineup there are certainly other prospects in the system on paths that will quickly overtake him on the depth chart.

Eyssimont, 24, isn’t really one of those prospects. Though he did record 12 goals and 28 points in 56 games this season with the Ontario Reign, he’s at the point where becoming an impact NHL forward is likely out of reach. He does represent some more depth for the organization and a strong player for the AHL team, but that point-per-game output at the college level does not seem to have traveled with Eyssimont to professional hockey.

There are several more minor league RFAs for the Kings to sign, along with Nikolai Prokhorkin at the NHL level. Prokhorkin, of course, has already returned to the KHL and signed a two-year deal with Magnitogorsk, meaning that though the Kings can retain his rights temporarily with a qualifying offer, he won’t be signing a new deal with them anytime soon.

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Olli Maatta From Chicago

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The Los Angeles Kings announced they have traded for defenseman Olli Maatta, acquiring him from the Chicago Blackhawks for ECHL prospect Brad Morrison. The Blackhawks will also retain $750K of Maatta’s contract as part of the deal, bringing down Maatta’s salary cap number to around $3.33MM.

“Olli is a well-rounded player who will fit well with our group of defensemen,” said Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake. “He is a young player that already has a lot of valuable NHL experience, including a pair of Stanley Cups, and we look forward to having him join our organization.”

For the Kings, the team just acquired a two-time Stanley Cup champion for practically nothing besides that two year, $3.33MM AAV price tag. Maatta, who originally signed a six-year, $24.5MM contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2016. While he has struggled with his play the last few years, he still should make an immediate impact with Los Angeles, who needs as much defensive help as it can. After star defenseman Drew Doughty, Maatta likely becomes the second best defenseman on the team as most of their defense is comprised of younger, unestablished players.

Of course, Maatta hasn’t been nearly as sharp since signing that deal, especially considering the original costly $4.1MM AAV. With only two years of more than 20 points on his offensive resume, Maatta has even had some trouble dominating on the defensive side and found himself on the Penguins’ third pairing before they traded him last offseason to Chicago. His play wasn’t much better with the Blackhawks where he put up four goals and 17 points in 65 games. However, Maatta did play better in the playoffs, posting three goals and six points in nine playoff games for Chicago.

For Chicago, it’s a great deal to free up as much cap room. The team has a number of key players it must re-sign, including unrestricted free agent goaltender Corey Crawford as well as the need to work out long-term extensions with restricted free agents Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik, who have become top-six players recently.  Because of that, unloading Maatta’s contract was expected to occur at some point. There was some discussion that the Blackhawks had planned to buy out Maatta if they couldn’t find a trade option. With Maatta’s contract (or most of it) off the books, the team now has $11.1MM of available cap space with 16 players signed.

While the loss of Maatta takes away a veteran from the team’s defense, the Blackhawks are loaded with young defensive players who look close to NHL-ready, including Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin and Lucas Carlsson, amongst others.

Chicago did acquire Morrison, who played 50 games at the AHL level in 2018-19, but found himself in the ECHL with the Fort Wayne Comets where he played just 17 games. A fourth-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2015, has one year remaining on his entry-level contract.

Trevor Lewis To Test Free Agency

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Trevor Lewis has been a part of the Kings organization since they drafted him in the first round (17th overall) back in 2006.  However, his time with Los Angeles has come to an end as he told David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link) that he will not be re-signing with them when the free agent period opens up next month.  He briefly commented on his pending departure:

It’s definitely different, a little tough to think about. I grew up here, been here my whole career. It’ll be different, but I’m excited. Change is always good. I’m excited to see what happens.

The 33-year-old has been a versatile veteran throughout his 12-year NHL career, played almost exclusively in a bottom-six role.  However, his offensive production has tapered off considerably as he has managed just a dozen points in each of the last two seasons while battling some injuries along the way.

Nevertheless, as someone that can kill penalties and play all three forward positions, there should be a decent market for his services come October 9th.  However, he’ll likely have to take a pay cut from the $2MM he has made in each of the last four seasons as most contenders – and Pagnotta adds in a separate tweet that Lewis is looking to go to one – won’t have that type of money to commit to someone that is likely best suited to play 10-12 minutes per game on the fourth line.

With 674 regular season games and another 79 in the playoffs, the Kings got a reasonable return out of their selection of Lewis even though he never really managed to develop a consistent offensive game.  However, his time with Los Angeles has come to an end.

Los Angeles Kings Reach Loan Agreement With Eisbaren Berlin

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Sometimes it pays to have rich parents. The Los Angeles Kings have reached an agreement with Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL to have a group of five young players loaned overseas for the next while. The two hockey teams are owned by the same parent company, Anschutz Entertainment Group. Alex Turcotte, Tyler Madden, Akil Thomas, Aidan Dudas, and Jacob Ingham will join the DEL as they prepare for their upcoming season, though will all be back when NHL training camps get underway.

Not only will these players get a chance to stay on the ice training with a professional environment, but it can also serve as a relationship and chemistry building experience for a group that will be integral to the Kings success down the line.

Turcotte, the headliner here and one of the top prospects in the NHL, was the fifth-overall pick in 2019. After a strong rookie season at the University of Wisconsin, Turcotte signed his entry-level contract and could be competing for an NHL roster spot as soon as the 2020-21 season gets underway. The 19-year-old center scored 26 points in 29 games for Wisconsin but is also known for his strong defensive game.

Madden meanwhile came to the Kings organization in the Tyler Toffoli trade with Vancouver and also decided to sign his entry-level contract this spring. Two outstanding years at Northeastern University turned Madden from a third-round lottery ticket into a top prospect and he’ll now be a name to watch in the coming years.

Thomas, Dudas, and Ingham were all selected by the Kings in 2018 and are each coming off excellent performances in the OHL.

Thomas started the year on the struggling Niagara IceDogs but ended up with the Peterborough Petes, a club that had their eye on the Memorial Cup before things were shutdown for the year. The 20-year-old forward had 84 points in just 49 games and continued to show why he should have been picked above 51.

Dudas was a fourth-round selection but actually managed to make his AHL debut in the spring of 2019, scoring two points in six games with the Ontario Reign. While he’s undersized, the 20-year-old center continues to shatter expectations and even made it onto the 2020 Canadian World Juniors team.

Ingham, the lone goaltender of the bunch, was just a sixth-round pick of the Kings a couple of years ago but had the best season of his life this year with Kitchener. With a 33-8-5 record and .917 save percentage he was one of the best goalies in the league, while also taking home the OHL Humanitarian Award for his work with Hockey Gives Blood, an organization that helps raise awareness about the importance of donating blood.

Jacob Moverare Loaned To SaiPa

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The Los Angeles Kings have sent another prospect back overseas, loaning Jacob Moverare to SaiPa in Finland’s top league. Moverare has spent the last two seasons playing for Frolunda HC, but there was recently a ruling blocking short-term loans to the SHL without a previous contract (that’s why there have been so many loans to Allsvenskan, the Swedish second league).

Moverare, 22, had an outstanding stint with Frolunda, twice winning the Champions League title and taking home the SHL Championship in 2019. The big defenseman experienced a breakout in the 2019 playoffs and carried that strong play through this season, recording 19 points in 51 games.

A fourth-round draft pick by the Kings in 2016, Moverare is actually heading into the final season of his entry-level contract with Los Angeles and will be a restricted free agent in the 2021 offseason. While he still hasn’t suited up for a single NHL game, it does look like a roster spot with the Kings is in his future. In fact, he could potentially grab a spot for the 2020-21 season if the team decides to recall him from SaiPa when things get underway.

Unfortunately, it’s not clear when exactly that will be. As Frank Seravalli of TSN explains on Twitter, “hardly anyone” believes the season will be starting in early December as planned.

Kings Loan Carl Grundstrom To Allsvenskan

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Just days after signing a two-year contract, there’s another transaction involving Kings winger Carl Grundstrom.  The team announced that they’ve loaned him to IF Bjorkloven of the Allsvenskan, the second division in Sweden.  (SHL teams aren’t permitted to bring in players on short-term loans.)  As is the case with many of these loans, Grundstrom will be recalled once NHL training camps get underway.

The 22-year-old looked to have an inside track at a full-time roster spot this season following a strong stint in 2018-19 after he was acquired from Toronto as part of the Jake Muzzin trade.  In that stretch, he picked up five goals in just 13 games.  Instead, Grundstrom only had a few brief NHL stints this season, playing in just 13 games while collecting four assists.  He spent most of the year with Ontario (AHL) where he fared much better offensively, picking up 12 goals and 16 assists in 40 games before the pandemic ended their season early.

Grundstrom is returning to a program that he has some familiarity with.  While he was drafted out of MODO of the SHL, he did spend three years with Bjorkloven’s program from 2010-11 through 2012-13, playing on their U-16 and U-18 squads.  As he’s now waiver-eligible, a good showing in Sweden could give Grundstrom a leg up on landing a full-time roster spot with the Kings for next season.

Minor Transactions: 09/04/20

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As if two NHL Game Seven’s weren’t enough today, there have also been several intriguing moves across the hockey world. With some leagues getting ready to start their seasons while the NHL off-season is beginning to draw near, it is an interesting time for roster transactions, both in North America and abroad:

  • The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have signed University of Nebraska-Omaha standout Zach Jordan to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. While Jordan’s production slipped in his senior season, he posted back-to-back seasons of 25+ points as a sophomore and junior, leading the Mavericks in scoring across those two campaigns. At 6’3″ and 216 lbs., Jordan is a hulking presence on the ice and projects as a physical, two-way winger at the pro level. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate has done well with developing these types of players in recent years, so Jordan may still be a name that could draw NHL consideration down the road.
  • As has proven to be a yearly tradition for the Los Angeles Kings, the club has loaned defensive prospect Jacob Moverare to Europe. A 2016 fourth-round pick who signed his entry-level contract in 2018, Moverare has been loaned to Sweden for each of the past two seasons. Things are a bit different this time around though; Moverare has not been loaned back to Frolunda HC, but to SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. The team also notes that the Kings have the right to recall Moverare from the loan for NHL training camp, an option that they seem likely to exercise. While Moverare is still a bit raw, he is a big,  effective stay-at-home blue liner who hit his stride last season in the SHL. Another full season in Europe is unlikely to help his development at this point.
  • AHL veteran Colin Campbell is making his first foray into Europe next season. After seven pro seasons and over 350 games – all in the AHL – Campbell has signed with the Vienna Capitals of the newly re-named IceHL, the team announced. A hard-working forward who got his start at Lake Superior State University, Campbell signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings out of college and ended up playing six seasons with their affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He moved on to the Colorado Eagles this past season and recorded the best per-game scoring numbers of his career, notching ten goals and 26 points in just 48 games. As he heads to Austria, Campbell will undoubtedly be looked upon as the leader of the Capitals and hopes to continue his strong performance. At 29, his NHL hopes remain alive and well.

Carl Grundstrom Signs With Los Angeles Kings

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After inking Austin Wagner to an extension earlier today, the Los Angeles Kings have reached an agreement with another one of their pending restricted free agents. Carl Grundstrom has a new two-year contract that carries a $725K cap hit. The contract is two-way next season and one-way in 2021-22.

Grundstrom, 22, is on the cusp of becoming a full-time member of the Kings, after arriving in Los Angeles by trade in 2019. A second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was a key part of the return for Jake Muzzin and has played 28 games over the last two seasons with the Kings. In that time he’s scored ten points, mixing in a penchant for goal scoring with a strong physical presence.

With a new two-year, minimum-salary contract, Grundstrom becomes an attractive option for the Kings should they decide to spend cap space elsewhere. He could be a fourth-line player for the team as soon as the 2020-21 season, or serve as important depth as an extra forward.

It will be interesting to see if the team decides to try and sneak him through waivers, as Grundstrom will be eligible for the first time in 2020-21. That could secure him an NHL roster spot immediately, especially with this inexpensive contract.

Los Angeles Kings Extend Austin Wagner

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The Los Angeles Kings have obviously been impressed with Austin Wagner over the last two years and have decided to reward him. The team has announced a three-year contract extension for the 23-year old which will carry an average annual value of $1.133MM. Wagner was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this offseason when his entry-level contract expired.

While the deal provides Wagner with some stability, it also represents a chance for huge excess value in the Kings eyes. Wagner has only registered 32 points in 127 NHL games but possesses blazing speed that represents a tantalizing weapon for Los Angeles.

A little over a year ago, Wagner expressed his desire and belief that he can become a perennial 20+ goal scorer for the Kings if he keeps working hard with the development staff. Those comments were followed by just a six-goal campaign (in 65 games) but were actually some marked signs of improvement. Wagner generated nearly twice as many shots on goal as the year prior while increasing his average ice time to nearly 12 minutes.

The Kings obviously still believe in the young forward, who only turned 23 in June and can provide some value on the defensive end even when he isn’t scoring.

Kings Loan Samuel Fagemo To Sodertalje In Sweden

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It turns out that Samuel Fagemo’s time in Sweden hasn’t come to an end yet.  Sodertalje of the Allsvenskan announced that they’ve reached an agreement with the Kings to have the winger join them to start the season on a loan agreement.

The 20-year-old was passed up in his first trip through the NHL draft but a strong season with Frolunda of the SHL in 2018-19 was enough to convince Los Angeles to draft him in the second round (50th overall) in 2019 and signed his entry-level contract just two weeks later.  He followed that up with another good showing with Frolunda this season, picking up 13 goals and nine assists in 42 games.  Fagemo also was dominant for Sweden at the 2020 World Juniors, leading the tournament in scoring with eight goals and five assists in just seven games, showing that he’s more than capable of producing against others in his age group.

While simply staying there would have made the most sense, the SHL is not accepting players on short-term loan agreements as this one is as Fagemo will return to the Kings for training camp.  As a result, he will have to play down a level to stay in game shape for next season although he should benefit from a more offensive-oriented role while he’s there.  It won’t be long before he gets into game action as he’s expected to suit up for Sodertalje this coming Saturday.

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