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The Los Angeles Kings lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25. That forced Rob Blake's exit as general manager, which brought Ken Holland in as the new head of hockey operations. The Hall-of-Famer made some big moves this summer, bringing in Corey Perry and Cody Ceci, but were they smart moves? We have all of the Kings' grades from NHL free agency after Holland's first run at improving the roster.
Rumors were swirling before free agency opened that Holland wanted to make a big run at Mitch Marner. But the Vegas Golden Knights stepped in and traded for him before he even hit the market. That sent him to Plan B, where he brought in Ceci and Perry, just like he did when he took over the Oilers' job.
The Kings take a low-risk bet on Corey Perry
Whatever the opposite of “If you can't beat them, join them” is, Corey Perry just did that. He spent the last two seasons with the Oilers, beating the Kings in the first round in each season. Now Holland, the man who brought him to Edmonton, is bringing him to Los Angeles with hopes of flipping the rivalry. Perry signed for one year and $2 million, with $2 million more in performance bonuses possible.
Perry is 40 years old, so his regular-season expectations should be tempered. But he is still a physical power forward who plays hard playoff minutes in the spring. The Kings expect to be in the postseason again, so bringing in someone who knows how to win there is a smart move. For just one season, Holland made a decent bet here, earning an A-
Bringing back Andrei Kuzmenko
The Kings, under Rob Blake's leadership, did not do much at the NHL trade deadline. One piece they did bring in was Andrei Kuzmenko in a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. Between three teams, he started the year in Calgary, Kuzmenko scored 11 goals in 66 regular-season games. In the postseason, he put up six points in their six games, earning him a new contract.
Holland came in and gave Kuzmenko a one-year deal worth $4.3 million for the 2025 season. He can earn himself a long-term deal with a big season this year, but he is not taking away cap space from a potential Adrian Kempe extension that can be signed at any time. The Kings need scoring, making this deal an A- as well.
Signing Cody Ceci to a lengthy deal leads to questions
There is no doubt that something needed to change for the Kings after the last four seasons. It is also undeniable that the changes aren't going to come from their prospect pool at this point. Trying to become a more physical team is an understandable path for most clubs in most divisions. But when your kryptonite is Connor McDavid, that is not going to help. The Kings signed Cody Ceci to a four-year contract worth $4.5 million, making that exact bet.
Ceci is a solid player, but he is not going to change the Kings' defensive outlook enough to make them better than the Oilers. To make roster space for Ceci and one more player that we'll get to, the Kings traded young right-handed defenseman Jordan Spence. Getting older and slower is not the way to beat Connor McDavid. Ceci will be 35 years old when the deal expires. Spence is 24. This deal is a D-.
More of the same with Brian Dumoulin
That other player similar to Ceci is Brian Dumoulin, who is back out west after a half-season with the New Jersey Devils. The Anaheim Ducks traded him to Jersey, where he played 24 total games, and now he is back in California. Dumoulin is a similar player to Ceci, a lumbering defenseman without offensive upside. His three-year, $12 million deal expires when he is 36 years old. Paying $4 million for the post-prime years of Brian Dumoulin earns Ken Holland another D-.
Depth down the wings with Joel Armia
Another signing, another veteran for Ken Holland and the Kings. Joel Armia spent the last seven years with the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 149 points and picking up 138 penalty minutes. Scoring depth is important for the Kings, but Armia does not have the speed necessary to keep up with the Oilers. A two-year bet worth $2.5 million per year is worth it for a team that needs the depth. But don't expect Armia to turn it up a level offensively in the playoffs. This one gets a respectable B-.
Anton Forsberg over David Rittich in goal for the Kings
The final change the Kings made this offseason was to their backup goalie position. Last year, Darcy Kuemper was a Vezina Trophy nominee, so they will roll with him as the starter for the season. But they let David Rittich walk to the Islanders and signed Anton Forsberg from the Ottawa Senators to back him up.
Forsberg is a backup goalie coming off a solid season relieving Linus Ullmark in Ottawa. If he repeats his 2.72 goals-against average and .901 save percentage, he'll steal some wins for LA. If not, the two-year. $2.5 million deal is a worthy bet on a backup. B+ for Holland and the Kings here.
