While the Kings spent opening day of free agency trying to patch holes and add depth, a handful of familiar faces were already moving on.
More than six former Los Angeles players who were under contract with the team during the regular season have either signed elsewhere or are set to do so this summer, and the list already includes some notable names. Here’s where those ex-Kings have landed so far.
Jeff Malott is headed to the Anaheim Ducks on a three-year deal worth around $1.85 million in average annual value. The gritty winger earned his way into the Kings’ lineup after a strong training camp and preseason, then carved out a regular role last season with three goals and nine points in 58 games. Now he stays in-state and moves to a Pacific Division rival.
Andrei Kuzmenko also found a new home, landing with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year contract worth $5 million in base value. For months, it felt like a split was coming, and that tone carried through the postseason press conference and exit interviews. Kuzmenko gave the Kings an immediate offensive jolt after arriving at the 2025 trade deadline, posting 17 points in 22 games and flashing the kind of scoring touch that made him a fan favorite in Los Angeles.
Glenn Gawdin, meanwhile, is on the move from the Ontario Reign to the New York Rangers. Gawdin had been the Reign’s top-line center for the past couple of seasons, though he never appeared in an NHL game with the Kings over that span.
Mathieu Joseph, whom Holland and the Kings added at the trade deadline after his buyout by the St. Louis Blues, is off to the Edmonton Oilers. He gave Los Angeles speed and depth down the stretch, appearing in 12 games.
Pheonix Copley’s path through the organization was just as eventful. He began training camp and the preseason with the Kings, then went to the Tampa Bay Lightning after being placed on waivers before the regular season.
Los Angeles later brought him back when Darcy Kuemper was injured, and Copley made one start for the Kings this past season - a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 23.
He has since signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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