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The Los Angeles Kings took a big hit on Tuesday on the first day of NHL free agency, losing standout defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the New York Rangers. Gavrikov was given an offer that he couldn't refuse, and will now be in New York on a seven-year contract worth $49 million in total.
While Gavrikov is a big loss for the Kings, who have lost in the first round of the playoffs in four consecutive seasons, there was no time to hang their head. Instead, the Los Angeles front office got straight to work at filling that gap.
It did so quickly, first with the signing of former San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars defenseman Cody Ceci on a four-year deal worth $4.5 million annually and $18 million over the life of the contract, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
Just minutes later, the Kings made another splash. Los Angeles agreed to a three-year deal with defenseman Brian Dumoulin worth $4 million annually and $12 million in total, according to Frank Seravalli.
Ceci started last season with the Sharks after spending three seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, but was quickly flipped from the Sharks to the Dallas Stars. There, Ceci was a valuable member of a playoff contender that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, notching nine points in 31 games.
Dumoulin is another veteran who was flipped to a playoff team last season, after he was traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the New Jersey Devils. He played 19 games in the regular season with New Jersey, recording six points in total. The veteran gives the Kings another reliable player in the back end to lean on throughout the season.
The Kings didn't stop with the defensemen, quickly signing goaltender Anton Forsberg to a two-year deal, according to Seravalli.
Forsberg won't be an everyday starter for the Kings, but he is a rotational goalie who can be solid on any given day. Last season with the Ottawa Senators, Forsberg finished with a .901 save percentage while allowing less than three goals per game.
Overall, these moves should allow the Kings to have a deep and versatile roster once again next season as they try to get over the hump and make a deep playoff run.
