The Kings were also in the market for Brad Richards when the calendar turned to free agent season, but they were left out in the cold when he signed in New York, so Plan B begins with the signing of Simon Gagne on Saturday. Gagne signed a 2-year, $7 million deal and will likely play on a spot in the top six with some pretty talented linemates.
Gagne had a pretty tough year in Tampa Bay, dealing with neck issues and then a head injury, he missed out on 19 games in the regular season. In 63 games played, Gagne was able to register 17 goals and 23 assists, which is fairly productive, given the time spent away. His speed and touch should make him a good fit in Los Angeles.| Forwards | Defense | Goalies |
| Anze Kopitar | Jack Johnson | Jonathan Quick |
| Mike Richards | Rob Scuderi | Jonathan Bernier |
| Dustin Brown | Matt Greene | |
| Justin Williams | Willie Mitchell | |
| Dustin Penner | Davis Drewiske | |
| Jarret Stoll | ||
| Simon Gagne | ||
| Kyle Clifford | ||
| Colin Fraser | ||
| Scott Parse | ||
| Kevin Westgarth |
The Kings look like a much different team already in this off-season, but with some restricted free agents left to sign still, they will continue to look a bit different until some more familiar names pop up, like Drew Doughty.
The addition of Gagne to the list, not to mention Mike Richards and Colin Fraser of late, brings the Kings' projected annual salary cap total up to $51.7 million for 18 players (11 forwards, five defense and two goalies). These are some very promising numbers with only a few players needed to be signed for a playable roster, plus there is ample space to sign their franchise defenseman in with a new deal as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment