The Kings have signed one of their college prospects as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed goaltender David Hrenak to a one-year, entry-level deal. The contract will be for the 2022-23 season and will carry an AAV of $925K. Later in the evening, the team confirmed Hrenak’s deal while also announcing a two-year, entry-level pact for Andre Lee.
Hrenak, 23, was a fifth-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2018 (144th overall) and recently wrapped up his college career at St. Cloud State. This season, Hrenak played in 31 games for the Huskies, posting a 2.26 GAA with a .914 SV% (both career bests) along with a shutout. Unfortunately, his season came to a disappointing end as he had been hospitalized with pneumonia and was only cleared to dress in case of emergency for their first-round appearance in the Frozen Four tournament, one that they eventually lost to Quinnipiac.
Hrenak will join AHL Ontario on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of this season, allowing him to get his feet wet in the pros. Los Angeles has a pair of AHL netminders on expiring contracts in Garret Sparks (pending UFA) and Matt Villalta (pending RFA) so while the crease may be crowded for the Reign down the stretch, that won’t likely be the case for 2022-23 as at first glance, Hrenak could be taking Sparks’ place on that roster.
As for Lee, he was a seventh-round selection of the Kings in 2019 (188th overall). He just finished up his junior year at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell where he put up career highs in goals (16) and points (28) while tying his career best in assists with 12 in 28 games. A 6’5 center, Lee will also be joining Ontario on an ATO agreement for the rest of the season before his contract begins in 2022-23.
Los Angeles also announced that they have re-assigned forward Samuel Helenius to Ontario from JYP of the SM-liiga while they’ve inked defenseman Kim Nousiainen to an ATO agreement. Helenius, a second-round pick in 2021, had three goals and six assists in 49 games in Finland’s top league while Nousianen, an unsigned 2019 fourth-rounder, had 14 points in 35 games with KalPa in Finland.