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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Los Angeles Kings

Current Cap Hit: $72,759,394 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Nikolai Prokhorkin (one year, $925K)
F Blake Lizotte (two years, $925K)
F Carl Grundstrom (one year, $925K)
F Rasmus Kupari (three years, $894K)
F Gabriel Vilardi (three years, $894K)
D Kale Clague (two years, $762K)
F Austin Wagner (one year, $759K)
D Sean Walker (one year, $745K)

Potential Bonuses

Prokhorkin: $850K
Lizotte: $850K
Vilardi: $500K
Wagner: $133K
Clague: $133K

With the Kings rebuild in full swing, Los Angeles will be giving plenty of opportunities to their younger players to break out. The team finally was able to convince Prokhorkin to come over from the KHL this offseason. The fourth round pick from 2012 has scored 16 or more goals in four of the past six seasons, including career highs in goals (20) and points (41). The question is whether the 25-year-old can contribute at the NHL level, although the Kings will give him every chance to prove himself. Los Angeles also has high hopes for the 5-foot-9 Lizotte, who the team signed as an undrafted free agent in April out of St. Cloud State where he was one of college’s most offensively skilled players scoring 42 points in 37 games last season. The Kings also have high hopes for Grunstrom, who the team acquired from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin deal. In a brief audition of 15 games with the Kings, the 21-year-old tallied five goals and could prove to be a valuable addition.

The team might also get some help from some of their most recent top picks as Kupari, the team’s 2018 first-round pick, is expected to attend training camp in hopes of earning a spot on the Kings’ opening night roster. The 19-year-old had a breakout season in the Liiga last year, posting 12 goals and 33 points in 43 games. The team still has high hopes for Vilardi, the team’s top pick in 2017, who has missed most of two season with a back injury. With no updates on his status, there are many concerns whether he will ever be healthy enough to be a star in the league. However, if he can prove himself healthy, he could immediately vault himself into a top-six role.

With few veteran options on defense, the team has openings for a couple of their young prospects, including Clague, who spent last season in the AHL and could challenge for a spot this year. Walker had some limited success in 39 games last year, but will have to hold off a number of defensemen to retain his spot.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Tyler Toffoli ($4.6MM, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($2.53MM, UFA)
F Trevor Lewis ($2MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1.6MM, UFA)
F Sheldon Rempal ($874K, RFA)
D Paul Ladue ($825K, UFA)
D Joakim Ryan ($725K, UFA)
F Mario Kempe ($700K, UFA)
G Jack Campbell ($675K, UFA)
D Kurtis MacDermid ($675K, RFA)

Toffoli looked to be on a course to have a big career after a 31-goal season back in 2015-16. However, he hasn’t come that close to equaling that mark since then. He followed that season up with 16 goals, followed by 24 in 2017-18 and then plummeted to just 13 goals last season, his lowest total since his rookie campaign. With one year remaining, the team may be looking to trade off the 27-year-old at the trade deadline as he might be better off with a change of scenery. However, the Kings hope to get him off on the right foot in 2019-20 to increase his trade value. Lewis could also be a trade candidate. The 32-year-old dealt with injuries and appeared in just 44 games last season, but if the veteran could bounce back, he could be a solid trade candidate for depth.

While not an offensive defenseman, Forbort has suddenly become a veteran on a young blueline. The 27-year-old has averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time in three straight seasons and is considered to be an important part of the team’s top four. However, the team will have to decide whether he is worthy of a long-term deal as he will be hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time next summer. Perhaps the bargain of the group is goaltender Jack Campbell, who had a breakout season last year when he had to fill in because of injuries. Campbell, who was once the 11th-overall pick back in 2010, looks to have finally figured things out in net, finishing the season with a 2.30 GAA and a .928 save percentage in 31 appearances and could be interesting to watch as the trade deadline nears.

Two Years Remaining

F Ilya Kovalchuk ($6.25MM, UFA)
D Alec Martinez ($4MM, UFA)
F Alex Iafallo ($2.43MM, UFA)
D Daniel Brickley ($700K, RFA)
D Matt Roy ($700K, RFA)

The team was the highest bidder on Kovalchuk during last year’s offseason as they offered the veteran scorer a three-year deal. Unfortunatley, that deal doesn’t look to have worked out as the veteran struggled early and then dealt with injuries. He finished the season with 16 goals and 32 points, but that was way below the production that the Kings had hoped for when they opted to give him a $6.25MM per year deal. The veteran clashed with coaches and often found himself on the bottom-six. Kovalchuk is hoping to rebound as the Kings failed to find a taker this offseason and can only hope that the 36-year-old still has some gas left in the tank.

The team has one of the most reliable defensemen in Martinez, who could be a prime trade candidate and was often brought up in trade talks a year ago until the team moved out Muzzin. While his offense has slipped, he has been a solid top-four defenseman with the Kings for years, finishing with just a minus-two rating, despite the team’s dismal year.

Three Years Remaining

F Dustin Brown ($5.88MM, UFA)
F Jeff Carter ($5.27MM, UFA)
G Calvin Petersen ($858K, RFA)

The team still has a pair of difficult contracts that it is still paying for. Brown, who signed an eight-year, $47MM contract back in 2013, looked like a bust early on in the deal as the veteran struggled to score for a number of years, four of which where he tallied 15 goals or less. However, the 34-year-old found some of those offensive skills again with a 28-goal campaign in 2017-18 and then 22 more last season. If he can keep that up, the team might not complain as much that they are paying a 34-year-old close to $6MM per season.

After dealing with injuries for most of 2017-18, the Kings were hoping to see Carter, one of the team’s leaders, return to form. However, that wasn’t the case as the 34-year-old, who signed an 11-year, $58MM contract back in 2010, posted just 13 goals and 33 points. The team needs the veteran to find his game as his contract has become challenging to move. There were rumors that the Kings were working on a deal to send Carter to Arizona during the offseason, but those talks ended after the Coyotes acquired Phil Kessel instead.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D Drew Doughty ($11MM through 2026-27)
F Anze Kopitar ($10MM through 2023-24)
G Jonathan Quick ($5.8MM through 2022-23)

One contract that received quite a bit of criticism was the deal that the Kings handed to Doughty in 2018. However, that deal just kicked in now and after a disappointing campaign last season, that deal is already looking even worse. Despite averaging 26:36 of ice time, the No. 1 defender saw his offensive numbers drop and saw his defensive numbers plummet as he finished in the minus for just the third time in his career at a whopping minus-34. Now 29, the Kings will be forced to pay him until he’s 37 years old, and if the veteran can’t rebound this season, could be a long eight years to be paying a player who makes $11MM per year.

While it was a disastrous year throughout the lineup, Kopitar’s numbers were also a disappointment after he posted a 35-goal season in 2017-18 and was among the NHL leaders in points with 92. He saw those numbers drop to just 22 goals and 60 points and the team will need to see their leader bounce back as they still have five more years of their star under contract. Quick was another player who saw his numbers drop off. The veteran, who has been the fixture to the team’s defense, struggled with injuries, but even when on the ice, the 33-year-old put up a 3.38 GAA and a .888 save percentage in 46 games and didn’t look anything like the superstar goaltender of the past. The team might consider moving him with some quality goalies in the system, but with those numbers the team isn’t likely to give him away at the moment.

Buyouts

D Dion Phaneuf ($2.19MM in 2019-20; $4.06MM in 2020-21; $1.06MM in 2021-22 & 2022-23)

Recapture Penalty

F Mike Richards ($1.32MM in 2019-20)

Still To Sign

F Adrian Kempe

The team must sign Kempe, who has showed flashes of potential as a top-six player, but still finished with just 12 goals, down from the 16 he scored in 2017-18. The team brought in his brother, Mario, in hopes of adding a family element, which they hope will help impact his game on a positive level, but the team believes that Kempe could break out at some point, preferably sooner than later. With no arbitration, however, the two sides are still looking for a suitable contract between the two sides.

Best Value: Martinez
Worst Value: Doughty

Looking Ahead

This is an important year in the team’s rebuilding project, but more than almost any team in the league, the Kings are just hoping to see multiple players rebound and bounce back. A good performance by any player could make it easier for the team to trade off assets at the trade deadline and move that rebuilding stage forward even quicker. However, another season of poor play could send the rebuild back a bit. The especially need to see their core players return to form as players like Kopitar and Doughty must prove that their expensive deals aren’t going to be nightmares this quickly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tampa Bay, Dallas Among Teams Facing Contract Limit Crunch

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are not only up against the NHL’s $81.5MM salary cap upper limit, but also the league’s 50-contract limit. They’re not alone either; in addition to the Bolts, the Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, and Anaheim Ducks each have 48 players already signed to contracts next season as well. Six other teams have 46 or 47 players signed. The closer a club gets to 50, the less roster flexibility they have during the season. When it comes to making trades, claiming players on waivers, or signing college or junior free agents, teams without room can be hamstrung and forced to either pass up on possibilities or make desperation moves to free up roster space. It’s not an ideal situation and could force more than a few teams to make a move or two as the summer wears on.

Tampa Bay is in the worst position of all, as not only do they have just two contract slots available, but they also have two NHL regulars who remain unsigned restricted free agents in need of contracts – Brayden Point and Adam Erne. It’s hard to imagine that the Lightning, who also need to open up considerable cap space, don’t move out a player or two to help clear things up in both regards. One other possible saving grace could be sending 2019 first-round pick Nolan Foote or fellow prospect forward Gabriel Fortier back to their respective junior teams. Even if under contract, 18- and 19-year-old junior players who are still slide-eligible do not count against the 50-contract limit once returned to the junior level. If Foote and/or Fortier don’t crack the Tampa lineup, they would additionally clear up some room. A surefire contender, who also could use some affordable support where they can get it, the Bolts will definitely be a player on the trade and waiver markets this upcoming season, assuming they have the means to do so.

Dallas is in a similarly difficult situation. With just two contract slots available, the Stars need to re-sign (or do something with) defenseman Julius Honka. If the team signs Honka or trades him for another signed player or prospect, they are down to just one open space. Fortunately, unsigned RFA Niklas Hansson is expected to spend the season in Sweden and will not need a contract to become Dallas’ 50th man. Junior forwards Ty Dellandrea and Riley Damiani would also no longer count against the contract limit if sent back to their respective teams, although many in Dallas would like to see Dellandrea push for a spot on the roster.

L.A. has just one unsigned RFA remaining, promising forward Adrian Kempe, so they aren’t in danger to hit 50 at this time. The Kings also have a number of young players under contract who will battle for roster spots, which could force Akil Thomas back to juniors for one more year, removing his contract from the mix. L.A. has been a highly active team on the college free agent market of late and will want some contract room later in the season for potential additions.

Similarly, Ottawa has just Colin White left to sign, so barring further additions are not at risk of hitting 50 contracts. However, the Senators are just narrowly over the league’s salary cap floor, which could prompt them to add another contract so that they don’t have to risk falling below the floor during the year due to a trade. Right now, only Jonathan Gruden is a candidate to go back to junior and remove his contract from limit calculations, so if Ottawa does make another addition, they’ll likely look to make a subtraction or two as well to remain flexible in-season.

The final team at 48 contracts is the Ducks. Fortunately for them, Anaheim has no one left to sign and by all accounts are not looking to make any other moves this off-season. They should be safe, but may look to move a contract just in case the opportunities present themselves to add on during the season.

One team who isn’t at all worried about the contract limit: the New Jersey Devils. New Jersey currently has just 39 players under contract, third least behind Carolina and Winnipeg, but also have just two unsigned RFA’s in need of contracts while the Hurricanes and Jets each have a handful. The Devils project to enter the season with the fewest players under contract, as well the smallest payroll other than Ottawa. That could change though, as the team continues to be included in rumors pertaining to many of the top unsigned UFA’s and top trade targets this summer.

Mario Kempe Signs With Los Angeles Kings

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Adrian Kempe won’t have to visit Arizona anymore for family dinner. The Los Angeles Kings have signed his older brother Mario Kempe to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K. The elder Kempe has spent the last two seasons in the Arizona Coyotes organization after a long international career in the SHL and KHL.

The 30-year old forward played 52 games for the Coyotes last season, recording nine points in limited ice time. He served as a part-time penalty killer, but was mostly given fourth-line ice time as an energy option for the team. Originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007, Kempe played just eight games for their AHL team before returning to Sweden and not coming back until 2017. Suiting up for them at the World Championship, he added two points in four games.

It’s important to note that the younger Kempe is currently a restricted free agent for the Kings and is an important part of the future in Los Angeles. Just 22-years old, Adrian scored 16 goals and 37 points in 2017-18 before taking a slight step backwards last season. Bringing in his brother may help the negotiation, though Mario is a good player in his own right and will be competing for a spot on the Kings’ roster come September.

Pacific Notes: Myers, Kings Qualifying Offers, Puljujarvi, Thompson

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With reports that the Vancouver Canucks intend to focus their sites on adding a top-level defenseman in free agency, its looks like general manager Jim Benning has made it clear who is at the top of his wishlist as Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver expects to meet with unrestricted free agent Tyler Myers today, the first day teams can speak to unrestricted free agents.

Myers, who has played with the Winnipeg Jets for the past five years, is one of the top three unrestricted free agent defensemen along with Toronto’s Jake Gardiner and Montreal’s Jordie Benn. The 29-year-old could add some offense as he tallied nine goals and 31 points last season in Winnipeg. The 6-foot-8, 229-pound blueliner would give the team a solid top-four defenseman for the Canucks, who have lacked a solid top-four for years. Myers, along with a full season of 2018 first-rounder Quinn Hughes, could help bolster the team’s defense for a long time if the Canucks can convince him to sign with them.

  • The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke reports that the Los Angeles Kings will tender qualifying offers to Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, Michael Amadio, Daniel Brickley, Calvin Petersen, Sheldon Rempal and Matt Roy. No surprises there. He adds the team also does not intend to make qualifying offers to Nikita Scherbak, Alex Lintuniemi, Matteson Iacopelli and Pavel Jenys. Scherbak, who was claimed off waivers from Montreal, struggled after coming over to the Kings, while Lintuniemi has been passed by a number of Kings defenseman on their depth chart after the former second-round pick finished the season in Ontario in the AHL with a minus-30 rating.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins reports that the Edmonton Oilers haven’t had much success so far in trying to trade winger Jesse Puljujarvi, who has asked for a trade, and had been shopped at the NHL Entry Draft Friday and Saturday. Edmonton has already made it clear they do not intend to trade him away for nothing and supposedly are asking for quite a bit. Leavins writes that they did talk to Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, but he balked at the asking price, which was winger Bryan Rust. Puljujarvi, a restricted free agent, has made it clear if he isn’t traded, he will play in Europe.
  • Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are considering Chicago Wolves head coach Rocky Thompson to join Mike Babcock’s staff this upcoming season. Thompson, who led Chicago to the Calder Cup Finals in the AHL this season, has been considered a candidate to move to the NHL. Toronto has lost two assistant coaches this offseason. D.J. Smith was hired as the Ottawa Senators head coach, while Jim Hiller left the team to join Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz with the New York Islanders. No word on whether the Vegas Golden Knights will release him from his contract.

Morning Notes: Smith-Pelly, Boychuk, Sweden

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The Washington Capitals have recalled Devante Smith-Pelly ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. T.J. Oshie “won’t be playing any time soon” according to head coach Todd Reirden after the forward was run into the boards by Carolina’s Warren Foegele last night. Foegele will not receive any disciplinary action from the league for the hit, but the Capitals will still have to find a way forward without one of their leaders up front.

In comes Smith-Pelly, who spent a good chunk of the year in the minor leagues after being waived by the team earlier this year. The 2018 playoff hero had 14 points in 20 games for the Hershey Bears, but will now try to prove that he still belongs on the NHL team. In 48 career playoff games, Smith-Pelly has 13 goals—just one off the highest regular season total of his career.

Snapshots: McDavid, Getzlaf, Murray, Engelland, Kubalik

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While their regular season ended and their offseason had begun, the team still saw a scary scene unfold in the second period of Saturday’s game against Calgary when Connor McDavid tried to skate past defenseman Mark Giordano, but had his feet knocked out of him as his leg slammed against the goalpost. He didn’t return.

However, the team had good news today as McDavid walked into the clubhouse in a leg brace, but without crutches and x-rays showed there was no break, although results of an MRI had not come back in. TSN’s Tom Gazzola reports that McDavid believed that his leg was broken the moment it happened. McDavid finished the season second in the league in scoring as he tallied 41 goals and 116 points this season. It looks like McDavid has avoided a serious injury.

  • The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf $2,500 for roughing Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe. The incident happened in the final minutes of the season finale on Saturday when Getzlaf sucker-punched Kempe against the boards. Both players received 10-minute misconduct penalties as well as Kyle Clifford and Nick Ritchie.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have two defensemen out with injuries and their status hasn’t changed as the team gets ready for the first round of the playoffs later this week against Tampa Bay. The Columbus Dispath’s Brian Hedger writes that defenseman Ryan Murray continues to be out with an upper-body injury. He has missed 24 games with his injury. Meanwhile Adam McQuaid also sits out with an upper-body injury as his status also hasn’t improved. McQuaid has missed five games.
  • Despite heading for unrestricted free agency this summer, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland isn’t ready to retire. The 37-year-old said he’s healthy and wants to keep playing, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. “Keep playing. That’s the goal. I feel good out there,” said Engelland. “I’m not banged up or anything like that. If you talk to anyone that’s done, they tell you play as long as you can.”
  • During the end-of-the-season press conference, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said that he envisions the team bringing over prospect Dominik Kubalik and having him on the Blackhawks’ roster next season, according to The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. The hope is that he will make a similar impact that Dominik Kahun did this season. The 23-year-old forward’s rights were acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in January for a fifth-round pick, but Kubalik scored 25 goals and 57 points in 50 games in the NLA this year.

Pacific Notes: Vegas’ Defense, Boeser, Kovalchuk, Luff, McLellan

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The Vegas Golden Knights have always followed a general philosophy when it comes to pairing up their defensemen. Head coach Gerard Gallant loves to pair a fast, quick-moving offensive defenseman with a bigger defensive counterpart. However, with Nate Schmidt missing the first 20 games of the season with a suspension, Gallant hasn’t had the opportunity to put together his perfect pairing, which included Schmidt matched up with Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore with Deryk Engelland and Colin Miller paired with Nick Holden.

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes those new changes which has produced a 3-0 record since Gallant put those pairings together, including a 2-1 overtime win over Arizona and a pair of shutouts over Calgary and San Jose, Friday and Saturday. That’s just one goal allowed in 183 minutes. While it has been made clear that the team missed Schmidt, Vegas’ entire defense missed him as everyone had been shuffled out of alignment without the speedy blueliner. Without Schmidt, the team lacked a third offensive defenseman as the team had to pair Holden with Jonathon Merrill, which struggled throughout the first quarter of the season.

“It adjusted our defenseman because they all played different roles when Nate was out,” Gallant said. “So, everybody is in their spots now and playing pretty well and they are confident.”

  • Rick Dhailwal of Sportsnet reports that he’s heard from a source that Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is making good progress recovering from his groin injury. The 21-year-old has been out since Nov. 2. The scribe adds that Boeser is getting closer and should be back at some point next week. He has four goals and 11 points in 13 games so far this year.
  • One of the Los Angeles Kings struggles comes from the play of major off-season acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk who has failed to record a point in eight straight games, according to Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times. The 35-year-old, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM contract this summer, has gone from the team’s top winger to a third-stringer and has dropped to the second unit of the power play. The team broke their 0-for-16 slump on the power play Saturday with Kovalchuk on the bench.
  • Fox Sports Jon Rosen writes that the Kings need to get more playing time to rookie Matt Luff, who has played well since being called up from the AHL. The 21-year-old has three goals in eight games after dominating in Ontario. Head coach Willie Desjardins re-teamed him with Carl Hagelin and Adrian Kempe, which found some success for the Kings. The scribe writes that Luff needs playing time and needs to start receiving power play time as well.
  • Rosen also adds that the Kings have no interest in bringing former Edmonton Oilers’ coach Todd McLellan aboard.

West Notes: Baertschi, Quick, Kempe, Schwartz

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Canucks winger Sven Baertschi attempted to skate last weekend for the first time since suffering a concussion back in October.  However, he told Marcel Perren of Swiss newspaper Blick that he had to stop after just 15 minutes due to a recurrence of symptoms.  With that in mind, he has been shut down once again and Baertschi indicated to Perren that there’s a chance that he does not return this season.  That would be a significant blow for Vancouver as the 26-year-old is an important part of their attack and was off to a solid start to his campaign with six points in ten games before being concussed.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick participated in his first full practice with the team since undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus late last month, notes Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. Head coach Willie Desjardins doesn’t want to put a firm timetable on when the netminder may be able to return to the lineup but the belief is he’s about a week away from getting the green light to play.  Meanwhile, center Adrian Kempe is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Vancouver after suffering a lower-body injury on Wednesday.  If he can’t play, Los Angeles will likely have to bring up a forward from AHL Ontario.
  • The Blues announced that they have placed winger Jaden Schwartz on injured reserve. His roster spot went to winger Patrick Maroon who was activated and played tonight against Nashville.  Schwartz last played on November 16th against Vegas so his placement was likely backdated to then which would allow him to be activated at any time.  The 26-year-old is off to a relatively quiet start to his season with just two goals through his first 15 games.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Los Angeles Kings

Current Cap Hit: $77,345,227 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Alex Iafallo (one year, $925K)
F Sheldon Rempal (one year, $925K)
F Gabriel Vilardi (three years, $925K)
D Daniel Brickley (one year, $925K)
F Adrian Kempe (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Rempal: $850K
Brickley: $850K
Vilardi: $500K

With a franchise filled with veteran contracts, the team has been forced to slowly integrate some youth onto the team. What the team has recently done successfully is signing several undrafted collegiate free agents, including Iafallo, Brickley and Rempal. Iafallo made the Kings’ team out of training camp after four years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and even started on the team’s top line, posting nine goals and 25 points. This year, the team has the same hopes for Brickley and Rempal, two of the top college free agents, who each signed earlier this year and have solid chances to make the club out of training camp.

The team also have high hopes that Kempe can continue to develop into a top-six forward after finally breaking into a full-time role with the Kings this year. The 21-year-old 2014 first-round pick posted 16 goals and 37 points last year and could be primed to take that next step next season. Vilardi, the team’s 2017 first-rounder, might have made the L.A. team last year if he hadn’t suffered a back injury at the end of the 2016-17 season. He missed half of last season, but still posted solid numbers in junior on his return, posting 22 goals and 58 points in just 32 games. He could easily win a bottom-six role immediately and work his way up the depth chart as the season rolls on.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Nate Thompson ($1.65MM, UFA)
G Peter Budaj ($1.03MM, UFA)
F Jonny Brodzinski ($650K, RFA)
F Zack Mitchell ($650K, RFA)
D Oscar Fantenberg ($650K, UFA)

The team has few contracts that they have to worry about among non-entry level deals. Fantenberg may be the most intriguing of the bunch as the 26-year-old defenseman showed some offensive potential in limited action after coming over from the KHL last year. While he played in just 27 games last season, he posted 13 points and managed to play a significant role in their four-game playoff series with the Vegas Golden Knights. Other than Mitchell, who came over from Mitchell, all are unrestricted free agents and will have to prove their value to get a new contract in the future.

Two Years Remaining

F Tyler Toffoli ($4.6MM, UFA)
D Jake Muzzin ($4MM, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($2.53MM, UFA)
F Trevor Lewis ($2MM, UFA)
F Kyle Clifford ($1.6MM, UFA)
D Kurtis MacDermid ($675K, RFA)
G Jack Campbell ($650K, UFA)

Toffoli posted solid numbers for the fourth straight year, putting up 24 goals and 47 points as he enters the second year of a three-year, $13.8MM deal. The 26-year-old flashed some offensive potential two years ago when he scored 31 goals. Hoping that he might build on that number, Toffoli has scored just 40 goals in the past two years, so the team hopes he can return to an elite level soon. Muzzin is a solid top-four defenseman on a team that is loaded in defense and proved his value by putting up a career-high in points with 42, despite missing eight games last seasons.

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Snapshots: Sweden, Voynov, Yawney

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Sweden released their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Championships, and it is loaded with NHL talent. John Klingberg, Adam Larsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Erik Gustafsson, Adrian Kempe, Mikael Backlund, Johan Larsson, Mattias Janmark, Lias Andersson, Jacob de La Rose, Magnus Paajarvi and Mika Zibanejad will all be heading to the tournament for the Swedes.

Though obviously this group is missing some of their top options like Erik Karlsson and Henrik Zetterberg, it will also have some very interesting young players filling the gaps. Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Erik Brannstrom will be among the defense corps, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver expects Elias Pettersson will be added soon.

  • There have been some conflicting reports on Slava Voynov’s potential return to the NHL, but Arthur Staple of The Athletic can make one thing very clear. The New York Islanders have not reached out to anyone connected to the former NHL player, and have “zero interest” in bringing him aboard. Whether or not any team will actually sign the 28-year old defenseman is still unclear.
  • The Anaheim Ducks will not bring back assistant coach Trent Yawney next season, choosing not to renew his contract. Yawney has been with the Ducks organization for seven seasons, first as head coach of their AHL affiliate (Syracuse, then Norfolk) and the last four seasons as an assistant to Bruce Boudreau and Randy Carlyle in the NHL.

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