The Los Angeles Kings have added a depth defenseman, signing Joe Hicketts to a one-year, two-way deal. The Kings have made improving their defensive depth a priority in this early stage of free agency, and Hicketts is the third blueliner the team has added in the past two days, joining Andreas Englund and Steven Santini.
Hicketts is a 27-year-old offensive defenseman who lacks size but has grown into an impactful offensive defenseman at the AHL level. While he last played in the NHL in 2019-20, Hicketts is coming off of his best season at the AHL level. He scored 48 points in 72 games for the Iowa Wild, and also wore a letter on his jersey for the first time in his pro career.
A Calder Cup champion as a rookie, Hicketts will likely play an important role on the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He’ll get a chance to quarterback their powerplay and have another strong, productive season that would allow him to push for another NHL call-up.