Derek Forbort

Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

September 20, 2020 at 1:30 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

With free agency now less than a month away, many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. While the Calgary Flames have one or two key restricted free agents to deal with, they may have quite a few questions that will need answering among their unrestricted free-agent defensemen.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Andrew Mangiapane – Throughout his career, Mangiapane has done everything right and only continues to get better. A former sixth-round pick in 2015, he worked his way into permanent role in 2018-19 and solidified himself as a top-six forward this year and it showed, posting career highs in his second full season, scoring 17 goals and 32 points. He added another three goals in 10 playoff games this year. The 24-year-old is likely to get a raise after making $800K on his now-expiring entry-level deal. He has proven his value as a key future forward on this team.

F Mark Jankowski – There was a lot of hope for Jankowski, the team’s first-round pick from 2012, but his third season in the NHL was a bit disappointing. In fact, after his rookie campaign in 2017-18 in which the 26-year-old tallied 17 goals, he has seen a continual decline, posting 15 goals in 2018-19 and followed that up with just five goals this year and has seen his playing time continue to drop as he played just 11:06 of ATOI. And at 6-foot-4 and a bottom-line player, he doesn’t play much of a physical game with just 80 recorded hits over three full seasons. However, the team has to decide whether he is worth the $1.75MM qualifying offer to retain his rights.

Other RFAs: F Justin Kirkland, D Oliver Kylington, D Andrew Nielsen, G Tyler Parsons.

10.2(c) Players: F Glenn Gawdin, G Nick Schneider (ineligible for arbitration or an offer sheet)

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Travis Hamonic – The Flames gave up quite a bit to bring in the defensive-minded Hamonic back in 2017. While not particularly much of an offensive player, the 30-year-old blueliner is quite a defensive player and was second on the team in ATOI this season at 21:11. Of course, the team was without his services in the playoffs as he opted out due to COVID-19 and family concerns. His daughter has had a significant battle with a life-threatening respiratory virus in the past while Hamonic has a new baby boy as well. However, the blueliner also was dealing with an upper-body injury for a large chunk of the regular season as well. Will the team bring him back? He was quite an affordable commodity at $3.86MM for the last few years, but undoubtedly will be looking for a raise and how many years is Calgary willing to offer to someone who is already 30 years old? With a team as cash-strapped as Calgary, Hamonic may be too pricey to keep.

D Erik Gustafsson – With five unrestricted free-agent defensemen, the team is likely to have to make some tough decisions in the near future. The Flames picked up Gustafsson for just a third-round pick at the trade deadline, which looked like a steal when Hamonic opted out of the playoffs. The team was expecting to lean on the once-high scoring defenseman. Instead, Gustafsson got just third-pairing minutes and wasn’t a big contributor down the stretch, suggesting the team may move on from him. While the 28-year-old’s price tag likely has dropped since posting a 17-goal, 60-point season back in 2018-19 and then following that up with a six-goal, 29-point season this year, a reunion would seem less likely considering the team has limited means as it is.

D T.J. Brodie – A constant trade-rumor candidate last summer, Brodie has found a way to remain with the team and produce quality minutes and may be the best option for Calgary if they were able to re-sign just one starter in the offseason. While his minutes have declined significantly since 2014-15, he still can put of solid defensive numbers and potentially provide solid play for less than the cost of either Hamonic or Gustafsson. He is capable of playing either side of the ice and plays a game that might suggest he could play deeper into his career than other defensemen.

G Cam Talbot – The Calgary Flames added Talbot to their roster as a veteran backup for young David Rittich and instead, Talbot walked away with the starting job, playing in all 10 of the team’s playoff games with Rittich getting just 16:35 of ice time in the final game before they were eliminated by Dallas (he gave up three goals on six shots). Talbot, who posted solid numbers this year, with a 2.63 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 26 regular season games, put up even better numbers in those 10 playoff games, including a 2.42 GAA and a .924 save percentage. The 33-year-old UFA made it clear he is looking for a starting job, but is Calgary willing to give up on Rittich just yet? And are they willing to pay up to keep Talbot, who could have quite a few suitors after his impressive season?

Other UFAs: F Austin Czarnik, D Derek Forbort, F Byron Froese, G Jon Gillies, F Ryan Lomberg, F Alan Quine, F Tobias Rieder, F Zac Rinaldo, F Buddy Robinson, D Michael Stone, D Rinat Valiev.

Projected Cap Space

The Flames only have about $16MM in available cap space and plenty of players they need to sign, including at least one or two defensemen and a starting/tandem goaltender. That doesn’t leave much money left for the team to spend on potential free agents unless the Flames find a way to move out some salary or some key players. Of course, with several rumors spreading about the availability of Johnny Gaudreau, it could be an interesting offseason for the Calgary Flames.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Calgary Flames Acquire Derek Forbort, Erik Gustafsson

February 24, 2020 at 1:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

You could bet when Mark Giordano and Travis Hamonic went down for the Calgary Flames that the team called around on every available defenseman. Well, even though Giordano is set to return soon after being a full participant in practice again today, they’ve added some depth on the blueline. The team has acquired Derek Forbort from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2021 conditional fourth-round pick, and Erik Gustafsson from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2020 third-round pick. The Kings also retained 25% of Forbort’s contract.

The Flames have made moves like this in the past. Last year they added Oscar Fantenberg at the deadline to give them a little more depth on defense, and in 2017 it was Michael Stone coming in. Forbort and Gustafsson may come with even more excitement than those two, given their recent history. Forbort has been a partner of Drew Doughty, logging more than 20 minutes a night for the Kings in each of the previous three seasons. Injury stole most of this year, but he can be a reliable addition to a third pairing while the Flames work through injury.

It’s Gustafsson that brings the real intrigue however. Quietly the Blackhawks defender put up 17 goals and 60 points a season ago, and has established himself as a legitimate offensive threat. While his defensive work leaves something to be desired, the 27-year old could add a new dimension to the Flames.

Both players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, explaining the relatively low costs. Some mid-round picks for the Kings and Blackhawks are just pieces to add to the cupboard as they both try to climb their way back to the top of the Western Conference.

Los Angeles Kings Make Several Roster Moves On Defense

January 4, 2020 at 5:58 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles Kings made a few roster moves with their defense in advance of Saturday night’s game against the Nashville Predators. The team is expecting back one of their top defenseman as Alec Martinez has been activated off of injured reserve. The team has also recalled defenseman Derek Forbort and placed defenseman Joakim Ryan on injured reserve, according to Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris.

Martinez went down on Nov. 25 when he suffered a laceration to his wrist against the San Jose Sharks in which he underwent surgery to repair a radial artery and two superficial radial nerves. He has been out week-to-week, but has now missed 18 games, a tough pill for a struggling L.A. team to deal with. Next to veteran Drew Doughty, Martinez is the most experienced blueliner the team has and relies on him greatly, especially his defense. While the 32-year-old’s offense has decreased over the last couple of years, he has been a steady influence on the other side of the ice.

The team will also get back Forbort, who has spent the past five games on a conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign in the AHL. Forbort, has sat out all season so far with a back injury, but if he can prove to be healthy, could add another defensive blueliner to their team. Forbort played five games with the Reign, scoring one goal. However, much will be determined by Ryan’s absence. He was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury retroactive to Dec. 27, which means he’s eligible to be activated at any time. If Ryan is ready to return, however, Forbort could be sent back to Ontario.

Minor Transactions: 12/29/19

December 29, 2019 at 5:40 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

There were nine games in the NHL last night and, outside of a surprising 6-1 drubbing of the Flyers by the Sharks, it was a slate of tight results. The other eight match-ups combined for a margin of victory of just 12 goals, including five one-goal decisions. With another ten games on the docket today, including five divisional rivalries, it should be another competitive slate. Every team will be trying to make the right roster moves to improve their odds of winning, so keep up with all of the action here:

Last night, the Nashville Predators recalled Yakov Trenin, replacing the roster spot of Colton Sissons, who has been placed on injured reserve. Trenin has been up-and-down frequently this season, playing in six games with the Predators and 20 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Trenin’s minor league production this season suggests he could assert himself as a top-nine forward for Nashville if he continues to get opportunities.
Another notable move last night was the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins signing Sebastien Caron to a PTO to serve as their emergency backup goalie. That name should be familiar, as Caron made his WBS Penguins debut back in 2000-01 and made 95 NHL appearances over a 15-year pro career, 90 of which came with Pittsburgh and the other five in brief stops with Chicago, Anaheim, and Tampa Bay. Caron also spent parts of nine seasons in Europe. Since retiring from regular play in 2015-16, Caron has made multiple emergency backup appearances for the AHL Penguins, as well as the Binghamton Devils.
Derek Forbort finally returned to action last night, as the Los Angeles Kings activated the defenseman from the injured reserve and assigned him to the AHL’s Ontario Reign on a conditioning loan. Forbort began the season on the injured reserve with a back injury, but looked like he was trending toward a return in late November. However, Forbort suffered a setback during a previous conditioning stint and never made it back to active duty with the Kings. The team hopes that this time around he can stay healthy in the AHL and make his NHL debut sooner rather than later.
With a few days between games, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Kenny Agostino and Timothy Liljegren back to the AHL. With Jake Muzzin out due to a broken foot and Rasmus Sandin currently overseas playing for Sweden, Liljegren seems to be the next in line for an NHL opportunity in Toronto.
The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have assigned forward Morgan Frost to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL and have activated forward Michael Raffl off of injured reserve. Frost, one of the team’s top prospects, scored two goals in his first two NHL games, but has failed to score in the past 16 games. His last game, the team’s 6-1 loss to San Jose, Frost finished with a minus-three rating. He will return to the AHL to find his scoring confidence. Raffl has been inserted in the Flyers’ lineup after sitting out since Dec. 3 after breaking his finger. The 31-year-old has three goals and six assists this season in 28 games.

Pacific Notes: Simek, Forbort, Fleury, Comtois, Kassian

December 8, 2019 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

The San Jose Sharks find themselves down a defenseman as The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that defenseman Radim Simek will return to San Jose and is expected to miss two weeks to have a minor procedure on his meniscus, an injury that kept him out of the lineup for the start of the season.

Simek sat out the first month of the season with the knee injury he suffered during the season last year. However, his return to the Sharks’ lineup coincided with San Jose’s success as the team has gone 11-4-1 as the team struggled with their defensive depth up until then. The 27-year-old has averaged 16:54 of ATOI and has a goal, four assists and 28 hits over 16 games.

The season debut that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Derek Forbort was anticipating soon will go on hold as the blueliner was placed back on injured reserve Saturday after suffering a setback of his back injury, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Forbort, who has yet to make his season debut after going down with a back injury during the preseason. He was expected to return soon, however, as he was sent to the Ontario Reign of the AHL on a conditioning assignment. However, he played two games before suffering the setback. There is currently no timetable on his return.
After a six-game layoff, the Vegas Golden Knights will have to wait at least one more game before starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will return to the ice. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Malcolm Subban will get the start again despite Fleury’s return since his father passed away. The scribe writes that head coach Gerard Gallant wants to give Fleury some more practice time before throwing him into a game.
Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that with the injury of Anaheim Ducks forward Nick Ritchie for the next 6-10 weeks, the beneficiary of that injury is likely to be Max Comtois, who immediately was moved onto the team’s second line in hopes more playing time will spark his development. Comtois, a second-round pick in 2017, has had some success with the Ducks. He has two goals and five points so far in 13 games with the Ducks, but the injury will give the 20-year-old an even bigger opportunity to put up more offense.
While the Edmonton Oilers announced that they had activated forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve and expect him to play Sunday, the team also expects to get back forward Zack Kassian as well. The 28-year-old Kassian has missed the past three games with a back injury, but is expected to join Nugent-Hopkins and likely will take his place on Edmonton’s top line with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Kassian has been averaging a career-high 16:22 of ice time this season and has nine goals and 19 points this year.

Los Angeles Kings Make Multiple Roster Moves

November 27, 2019 at 12:19 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles Kings have recalled both Paul LaDue and Matt Luff from the minor leagues ahead of their game against the New York Islanders tonight. To make room, the team has sent Carl Grundstrom to the AHL and placed Alec Martinez on injured reserve. The team has also placed Derek Forbort on long-term injured reserve while assigning him to the AHL on a conditioning stint.

While LaDue and Luff coming up is no surprise, the demotion of Grundstrom may perk up some eyebrows after he got into the lineup the last several games. The 21-year old forward is still looking for his first goal this season but does have four points in nine games despite averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. Acquired as part of the package for Jake Muzzin last season, Grundstrom represents a real part of the Kings’ future up front and has shown a strong ability to contribute offensively at the NHL level so far.

Forbort’s assignment is the real news here though, as the veteran defenseman gets closer to a return after a back injury stole the first part of the season. The 27-year old has turned into a trusty partner for Drew Doughty over the last three seasons and is an important part of their group, but is also one of the team’s best trade chips if they decide to move him at the deadline. Forbort is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer and if the Kings want to open more room for younger options during their rebuild, he could fetch a pretty penny after showing he’s healthy and back to full strength.

Snapshots: MacTavish, Brouwer, Forbort, Avalanche

November 21, 2019 at 8:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Craig MacTavish’s tenure with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL was certainly short-lived as he was let go after eight games with the team. However, he’ll be back behind the bench next month as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that he will be Canada’s head coach at next month’s Spengler Cup. The position had initially been offered to Wayne Gretzky but was declined. Among those that are expected to be named to MacTavish’s staff is Misha Donskov, the Director of Hockey Operations for the Golden Knights.

West Notes: Perlini, Blais, Appleton, Forbort

October 25, 2019 at 8:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

It was reported on Thursday that the Blackhawks and winger Brendan Perlini were in agreement that a trade would be ideal for both sides. Speaking with Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required), the 23-year-old confirmed the trade request due to a lack of playing time. He has played just once so far this season and with Kirby Dach up with Chicago now, Perlini appears to be 14th on the depth chart so more playing time doesn’t appear to be on the horizon despite the fact he has scored at least 14 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons. Powers notes that the asking price is believed to be a draft pick although with only four teams being more than five contracts under the 50-contract limit, a player-for-player swap may be a likelier scenario.

Elsewhere out West:

While Blues winger Sammy Blais missed Thursday’s game after suffering a thumb injury back on Monday, head coach Craig Berube told Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Blais could return for one of their upcoming games this weekend. The youngster has already surpassed his 2017-18 output with five points in his first nine games so far this season.
Jets winger Mason Appleton was seen in crutches and a walking boot, effectively ruling him out of Saturday’s Heritage Classic against Calgary, notes Ken Wiebe of The Athletic (Twitter link). TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that the injury is believed to be a week-to-week one and that it was sustained playing football before practice started. Appleton has played in nine games so far this season and has been held off the scoresheet. Winnipeg has 12 other healthy forwards on their roster so a recall isn’t necessarily required.
Kings defenseman Derek Forbort took to the ice for the first time as he works his way back from a back injury, mentions Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider (Twitter link). He’s still believed to be a long way from returning but this is a positive step for Los Angeles as Forbort is a key part of their back end while the 27-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July and will need to show he’s healthy and can still play a top-four role if he wants to beat his current $2.525MM AAV.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/30/19

September 30, 2019 at 9:14 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

Teams will be finalizing their opening day rosters today, meaning that plenty of players will be removed from training camp. As always, we’ll keep track of all those cuts right here. Keep checking back as this list will be updated throughout the day.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

G Adin Hill (to Tuscon, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Peter Cehlarik (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Anders Bjork (to Providence, AHL)
F Trent Frederic (to Providence, AHL)
F Jack Studnicka (to Providence, AHL)
F Cameron Hughes (to Providence, AHL)
G Maxime Lagace (to Providence, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Remi Elie (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Curtis Lazar (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Scott Wilson (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Casey Nelson (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Rasmus Asplund (to Rochester, AHL)
F Tage Thompson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Lawrence Pilut (to Rochester, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

F Anton Wedin (to Rockford, AHL)
D Dennis Gilbert (to Rockford, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Marko Dano (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Eric Robinson (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Hayden Stewart (released from PTO)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Sam Gagner (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Brandon Manning (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D William Lagesson (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (per team release)

F Mario Kempe (to Ontario, AHL)
D Paul Ladue (to Ontario, AHL)
D Derek Forbort (designated injured/non-roster)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F J.T. Brown (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Louie Belpedio (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Charles Hudon (to Laval, AHL)
G Charlie Lindgren (to Laval, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

D Jeremy Groleau (to Binghamton, AHL)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Boo Nieves (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Filip Chytil (to Hartford, AHL)
F Vitali Kravtsov (to Hartford, AHL)
F Vinni Lettieri (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ryan Lindgren (to Hartford, AHL)
G Igor Shesterkin (to Hartford, AHL)
D Tarmo Reunanen (to Lukko, Liiga)
D Joseph Morrow (released from PTO)

Tampa Bay Lightning (per team release)

D Luke Schenn (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Danick Martel (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Alexander Volkov (to Syracuse, AHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (per team release)

F Kenny Agostino (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Nic Petan (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Garrett Wilson (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Kevin Gravel (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Kalle Kossila (designated injured, non-roster)
F Mason Marchment (designated injured, non-roster)
F Egor Korshkov (to Toronto, AHL)
F Matt Read (released from PTO, signs AHL contract)

Vancouver Canucks (per team release)

F Sven Baertschi (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Nikolay Goldobin (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Alex Biega (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Keegan Kolesar (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jake Bischoff (to Chicago, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

F J.C. Lipon (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Nelson Nogier (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
G Eric Comrie (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Joona Luoto (to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (to Manitoba, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

F Liam O’Brien (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Michael Sgarbossa (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Christian Djoos (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings

August 11, 2019 at 12:22 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

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.