LOS ANGELES — Following a season where the Los Angeles Kings’ offense was merely middle of the pack in scoring, general manager Rob Blake focused on upgrading at the forward position this summer.
The Kings lacked offensive firepower in the 2023-24 season. The trade for center Pierre-Luc Dubois didn’t pan out, 2020 No. 2 overall pick Quinton Byfield showed he’s still developing and young forwards like Akil Thomas showed flashes of future full-time NHL status, all leading to inconsistent offense and a frustrating first-round playoff exit.
Now, after losing second-pair blueliner Matt Roy, top-six winger Viktor Arvidsson and depth center Blake Lizotte in free agency, LA can’t expect to waltz into the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff picture in 2024-25.
Blake did extend Byfield to a five-year contract, while also keeping multiple depth free agents on the team.
Amid the departures, Blake added multiple players, acquiring talent at the blue line and at forward to fill the holes in the Kings’ playoff-pushing roster and aid the aging stars.
Free Agent Additions
Warren Foegele, LW
The Kings nabbed winger Warren Foegele on the first day of free agency and locked him up for three years at $10.5 million total.
Foegele reached the Stanley Cup with the rival Edmonton Oilers last season while receiving bottom-six minutes on a stacked roster. But despite the limited playing time, he still managed to reach the 20-goal mark, notching a solid 41 points in 82 games.
Foegele is a logical addition considering who LA lost in free agency. At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, he plays a complete game, is a fast skater and never gives up on the play. Given the abundance of talent beside him in Edmonton, replicating his success from last year might be a stretch, but it was the best season of his career. Plus, at 28 years old, his game still has room to grow.
The fact that Foegele suited up in every game last season should also be encouraging, as the Kings have struggled with injuries at forward. He won’t necessarily be the player Los Angeles relies on in must-score situations, but for depth, signing him made sense.
Joel Edmundson, D
When the Kings threw $15.4 million at 31-year-old defenseman Joel Edmundson over four years, it raised eyebrows across Kings fandom.
Roy’s departure left a blue-line void as he was the second-leading defenseman for Los Angeles in 2023-24 while serving time on the second line. Brandt Clarke, one of the most highly touted young blueliners, will aim to slot in the top four and replace Roy, but he’s still developing, making LA’s defensive pool malleable on the lower lines.
Edmundson only tallied six points in 53 games with the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs last season. While he’s a solid third-pairing defenseman for the Kings, paying him $3.8 million until he’s likely near retirement appears absurd.
The left-shot veteran will look to be a regular penalty-killer and physical force in the defensive zone. His 6-foot-5, 221-pound build is enticing, but he’ll also need to stay healthy, something he’s struggled with, to be anywhere close to worth the contract. He’ll certainly benefit the Kings as a mentor to younger defenders like Jordan Spence and Clarke, however.
Edmundson isn’t Roy’s direct replacement, but he appears to be Blake’s attempt to fill a gap. However, losing an offensively sound defenseman, who for the record, received a big payday in Washington, and adding an older, less offensively minded one for a still hefty sum is confusing.
Jeff Malott, LW
Winger Jeff Malott has only one NHL game under his belt as a career AHL player in the Winnipeg Jets organization.
Los Angeles signed the 27-year-old to a two-year deal at $775,000 per season to likely suit up for the AHL affiliate Ontario Reign full-time.
At 6-foot-3, Malott is advertised as a high-scoring, highly skilled winger who’s perennially dominant in the minors. Ontario will appreciate his presence as he’s notched at least 20 goals in his last three campaigns with the Manitoba Moose.
Jack Studnicka, C
Center Jack Studnicka was a 2017 second-round pick who never quite lived up to his potential, and he’s bounced around a few teams since.
Blake signed Studnicka to a one-year, two-way contract valued at $775,000 for the upcoming season. He split time between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks in 2023-24, while also playing in the AHL. He had one goal in 22 top-level contests.
Like Malott, he’ll be a solid addition to the Reign. He could be a fill-in on the Kings when others suffer injuries, but he’ll aim to earn his stripes in the AHL.
Glenn Gawdin, C
Center Glenn Gawdin was signed to a two-year, two-way deal with LA and will also look to make an impact in Ontario.
He’s only had glimpses of NHL playing time across four seasons but was a regular scorer for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls last season, registering 55 points with 22 goals and 33 assists in 70 games.
Gawdin’s substantial AHL experience will aid the Reign as the team looks to make a run of its own.
Reilly Walsh, D
Right-shot blueliner Reilly Walsh inked a one-year, two-way deal and has spent four seasons in the AHL.
Given that the Reign have a crowded lefty blueliner pool, Walsh could certainly see quality ice time as an offensive defenseman. At 25 years old and 5-foot-11, he’s not big and frightening, but he consistently recorded points last season and will look to continue doing so.
Caleb Jones, D
Left-shot defenseman Caleb Jones signed a two-way deal for the upcoming season. He logged five points at the NHL level while also spending time at the AHL level last year.
Jones is a player that could fill in if any of LA’s main blueliners hit the injured reserve. He’s a strong skater and physical at 6-foot-1.
Like some of the other players who will likely spend lengthy stints in Ontario, Jones provides quality experience and is a contender to be called up at any given time.
Trade Additions
Tanner Jeannot, LW
Winger Tanner Jeannot was once a 20-plus goal scorer with the Nashville Predators, but he hasn’t been the same since 2021-22. The Kings acquired him on the second day of the 2024 NHL draft, sending a 2024 fourth-round selection and a 2025 second-rounder to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 6-foot-2 Saskatchewan native.
For Blake, bringing in Jeannot as a bottom-six piece is pretty low-risk, but sending off a second-round pick in a draft where LA could pick fairly early is the head-scratching part. Jeannot had seven goals and seven assists in 2023-24 while carrying a minus-10 rating.
If he somehow finds his footing and makes noise this season, since he’s entering the final year of his contract, the Kings could trade him. Jeannot will make $2.665 million this year.
A change of scenery might be what Jeannot needs. Head coach Jim Hiller probably has the 27-year-old penciled in on the fourth line, and he will look to bring life to the Kings as an enforcer and physical hitter.
Considering he’s a shell of what he once was, though, surrendering valuable draft capital could ultimately harm the Kings. But to Los Angeles’ credit, it did see improvement in its bottom six to some extent this offseason, so the team will hope for more depth production than it saw in 2023-24.