Free Agent Focus: Los Angeles Kings

Free agency is now less than two weeks away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Kings.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Quinton Byfield – The Kings were hoping that the 2020 second-overall pick would take a big step forward and become a key top-six threat for them in 2023-24.  Mission accomplished on that front.  After being more of a role player in his first couple of years, he was regularly in the top six while taking a regular turn on the power play.  Byfield also did so while playing primarily on the wing which isn’t his natural position.  That could change moving forward now with Pierre-Luc Dubois in Washington, opening up a path for Byfield to move back down the middle.  A bridge contract might be the safer route here, checking in somewhere around the $4MM mark but if GM Rob Blake thinks that Byfield has another level to get to, he could try to pursue a long-term agreement, one that would likely push past $7MM per season.

F Arthur Kaliyev – In his first two seasons, Kaliyev was a decent secondary scorer, albeit an inconsistent one.  However, he struggled considerably in 2023-24 and following the midseason coaching change that saw Jim Hiller take over, the 22-year-old hardly played after that.  With a qualifying offer of just $874K, he shouldn’t be a non-tender risk but it’s more than evident at this point that a change of scenery would be a good idea for both sides.

F Blake Lizotte – After a breakout showing in 2022-23, Lizotte saw his output drop this season, tallying just 15 points in 62 games.  He’s a regular on the penalty kill and plays with some jam despite his smaller stature but he’s owed a $1.675MM qualifying offer, one that also carries arbitration rights.  With a 34-point effort the year before, it’s probable that the award would check in over $2MM.  For the limited role he fills, is that the best use of their money or would a non-tender make more sense while they look to fill that role with someone cheaper?

D Jordan Spence – The 23-year-old was basically a full-time NHLer for the first time this season, getting into 71 games.  He was predominantly limited to playing on the third pairing with a bit of power play time but he still managed a respectable 24 points which will definitely help his case in negotiations.  Given the limited role, it doesn’t make much sense for a long-term agreement to be worked out but a short-term bridge deal worth a little over $2MM might be the right fit.

Other RFAs: F Samuel Fagemo, F Carl Grundstrom, G Jacob Ingham, F Tyler Madden, G Erik Portillo, F Alex Turcotte

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Viktor Arvidsson – Suffice it to say, this was not the ideal walk year for the 31-year-old.  Arvidsson missed the first 50 games of the season after undergoing back surgery, then landed back on LTIR just four games after returning.  He did come back to finish off the year and played in the playoffs but suited up just 21 times combined.  Still, Arvidsson has a track record of being a quality top-six piece with five 20-goal seasons under his belt while being a strong possession player which helps.  But with the injuries, it’s hard to see teams offering up a long-term deal.  Instead, the offers might be more of the three-year variety while he’s a candidate to opt for a one-year pillow contract in the hopes of showing he’s fully healthy, thereby bolstering his value for the 2025 open market.

F Trevor Lewis – A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Lewis has been an effective fourth liner for quite some time.  His production has dropped compared to his first stint with the Kings when he was more in his prime but he’s still worth signing to fill the role he has the last few years.  That will be a contract at or close to the league minimum salary but he should get another deal to give him a shot at reaching 1,000 career regular season games, a number he’s 26 shy of at the moment.

D Matt Roy – Roy has been one of the more under-the-radar blueliners over the past few years.  He’s a stable second-pairing player who can move up when needed while also helping to anchor the penalty kill.  On top of that, he’s a right-hand shot, the side that’s always in high demand.  Los Angeles would undoubtedly love to bring him back but the 29-year-old is well-positioned to cash in and this is his best shot at a big long-term deal.  After making $3.15MM the last three seasons, he could come close to doubling that on the open market.

G Cam Talbot – The veteran wound up settling for a low-cost contract that ultimately paid him $2MM with bonuses; $1MM of that will be on the Kings’ books in 2024-25.  Still, the move worked out well for both sides as the 36-year-old made 52 starts, posting a 2.50 GAA with a .913 SV%, more than respectable numbers for someone at that price point.  With their acquisition of Darcy Kuemper, it’s likely that Talbot moves on but as one of the more proven netminders on the market, he should be able to land another one-year deal, perhaps with a bit more guaranteed money this time around.

Other UFAs: D Kevin Connauton, G Pheonix Copley, G Aaron Dell, F Hayden Hodgson, F Mikhail Maltsev, D Steven Santini, F T.J. Tynan

Projected Cap Space

After being rather limited spending-wise last summer, the Kings have $23.45MM in flexibility for next season.  Granted, they have as many as ten players to sign with that money with a fair-sized chunk of that being earmarked for Byfield’s contract and the re-signing or replacing of Arvidsson and potentially Roy.  Nonetheless, Blake has a chance to make another splash this summer, one he’ll be hoping works out a lot better than the one he made around this time a year ago.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.