The Los Angeles Kings are heading into free agency with work to do, and general manager Ken Holland has made it clear the blue line needs attention. But July 1 is also about restraint. In a market that can tempt teams into expensive mistakes, the Kings have to be careful not to spend on the wrong kind of veteran.
That’s the key tension for LA this summer: add talent, add depth, but don’t get stuck with contracts that clog the cap and don’t match what the roster actually needs. The Kings can attack that problem through free agency or the trade block, and the challenge is finding upgrades without sacrificing long-term flexibility.
One name that doesn’t make much sense for Los Angeles is Jamie Oleksiak. The former Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken defenseman brings size and physicality, and he can handle a shutdown role on the second or third pair. What he doesn’t bring is much offense, and that matters for a Kings team that needs more than just another stay-at-home veteran.
That concern is sharpened by the fact that Holland has already pointed to defensive depth as a priority, while the Kings are expected to let Jacob Moverare and Kyle Burroughs walk in free agency. Even with those departures, the answer doesn’t have to be another one-dimensional blue-liner.
The Kings are better off targeting a younger defenseman with more upside, either by working the trade market or by finding someone who can help at both ends of the ice. After the expensive multi-year deals for Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci, and with Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence gone for little to no return last summer, this is not the time to double down on the wrong kind of veteran.
In Other News...
Kings May Have Finally Found The Bargain Fix For Their Offense
The offseason push to juice the offense has led the Kings toward a familiar kind of solution: veteran help on manageable money. Mats Zuccarello and Corey Perry were brought in on short-term deals, giving Los Angeles a pair of experienced forwards who can fit into different parts of the lineup while also keeping the front offices financial flexibility intact.
For Ken Holland, the appeal is clear. Zuccarello should help on the power play, Perry brings scoring and edge, and the bargain structure of both signings opens the door for more roster work elsewhere, including the addition of Erik Haula. The bigger question now is how much lift those moves can actually provide for a team that has been looking for a more reliable offensive punch. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Free Agency Targets Matter More Than Ever After Kopitar's Exit
With NHL free agency set to open July 1, the Kings are heading into a stretch that could shape the post-Anze Kopitar era more than any one trade deadline ever did. General manager Ken Holland is working with a roster that needs help in several places, from blue-line depth to center support and another forward who can slide into the top six and keep the offense moving.
One name already tied to that search is Jack Roslovic, a center who can bring some scoring punch without forcing a major cap commitment. For a team trying to replace a franchise pillar while still patching up multiple spots on the lineup card, those kinds of value bets matter, and the Kings are likely to spend the first days of July weighing which additions fit best before the market thins out. [Read more 🡒]
Corey Perry Is Back And It Says Plenty About The Kings
Corey Perry is sticking around in Los Angeles for at least one more season, with the Kings rewarding the veteran forward with a one-year extension. It is a familiar sort of move for a team that has leaned into experience, and for Perry it adds another chapter to a career that has already stretched across 21 NHL seasons.
What makes the deal notable is the opportunity it creates for a pretty rare milestone. If Perry gets into at least 36 games this season, he will move into the NHLs exclusive 1,500-career-games club, a marker that would further underscore just how long he has lasted at this level. For the Kings, it is another sign they still see value in what Perry brings, even as his career keeps pushing into territory only a handful of players ever reach. [Read more 🡒]