Matt Ross: Signings Aplenty

Very pleased with all of these. Esp Petersen.

Finally a good writer for the King’s. Thank you soooooooo much. Go kings go.

Very pleased with all of these. Esp Petersen.
- poisondhearts37

Agreed. Big Petersen fan, man.

Finally a good writer for the Kong’s. Thank you soooooooo much. Go kings go.
- LA Quickie

Thanks, LA Quickie. Have a good one!

- RafiDRW

What rookies are going to make this team?
I have a vested interest in one...

Same problem with Petersen's contract that I have with Iafallo's contract. I think even more so with Petersen.

A two-year contract would have made him a RFA. 3 years makes him a UFA. Let's say he plays in the AHL this season, the NHL as a backup in 2020-21, and takes over the starting job in 2021-22 and plays Vezina quality hockey in that time. That means he's due a Hellebuyck/Gibson contract in 2022, at the same time players like Durzi, Anderson, Vilardi, Kupari, Anderson-Dolan, and Phillips are all finishing their ELCs. Likewise, Grundstrom, Kempe, and Wagner will probably all be getting new contracts that year as well. We could very well have a Maple Leafs type situation on our hands that summer.

With Petersen being a UFA, the Kings will have to compete with the rest of the league on the open market. That's a huge risk to take. I would have much rather Blake given Petersen twice the AAV over four or five years and buy up a year or two of free agency instead of making Petersen a UFA at age 27. If for some reason he doesn't turn into the future franchise goaltender of the Kings, a $1.7m AAV isn't going to be difficult to trade or, at worst, hide in the AHL for a couple seasons. If Quick doesn't get traded and Seattle doesn't take him in the expansion draft, the Kings could very well have $12M+ committed to goaltending in the 2022-23 season.

I very much want to like this signing, but I just can't.

Good signings, but am I the only one that thinks Amadio belongs in Ontario? I truly don't see what he brings to this team. Other than him, I was happy to see everyone sign.

Petersen's contract is interesting. This means that Kings are thinking they will either re-sign Campbell to an extension this year and move Quick or trade Campbell and have Peterson as back-up before the year ends. I really doubt Blake will let Campbell walk at the end of the year as UFA. I like the 3 year term - it would have been cool to sign him for longer but as good as he's looked in a handful of games so far, it's hard to say that he's proven himself long term. Hopefully he continues to trend in the right direction and takes over as number one in a couple of seasons.

On a side note, anyone else thinking about going to the Salt Lake Shootout? Did anyone go last year? I am considering going since I really miss the Frozen Fury, and seeing them play the Golden Knights at Tmobile isn't the same feel. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Lastly, so happy to have Matt writing for the Kings column here. I think you've already posted more quality stories than anyone else here for the Kings since Big Mouth Barry

A two-year contract would have made him a RFA. 3 years makes him a UFA. Let's say he plays in the AHL this season, the NHL as a backup in 2020-21, and takes over the starting job in 2021-22 and plays Vezina quality hockey in that time. That means he's due a Hellebuyck/Gibson contract in 2022, at the same time players like Durzi, Anderson, Vilardi, Kupari, Anderson-Dolan, and Phillips are all finishing their ELCs. Likewise, Grundstrom, Kempe, and Wagner will probably all be getting new contracts that year as well. We could very well have a Maple Leafs type situation on our hands that summer.
- tkecanuck341

If enough of them turn into bonafide stars that command $8M+ contracts all at the same time, that's a good problem to have. I doubt that any of them will, though, much less several of them. None of them are as highly touted as the major kids that the Leafs needed to sign--Matthews, Marner, Nylander--who were all top-10 overall picks. It's more likely that the ELC players will be looking for around what Kempe is looking for now (i.e. $3M). Signing all of them for around that shouldn't be any problem, especially when you consider that Brown's and Carter's contracts both end at exactly the same time, Kovalchuk's will have ended, Toffoli will be gone, Quick may well be gone and Richards' and Phaneuf's buyout cap hits will be only ~$1M each. That's nearly $30M off of the books compared to 2019-20. LA is liable to be swimming in cap space at the end of 2022.

With Petersen being a UFA, the Kings will have to compete with the rest of the league on the open market. That's a huge risk to take. I would have much rather Blake given Petersen twice the AAV over four or five years and buy up a year or two of free agency instead of making Petersen a UFA at age 27. If for some reason he doesn't turn into the future franchise goaltender of the Kings, a $1.7m AAV isn't going to be difficult to trade or, at worst, hide in the AHL for a couple seasons. If Quick doesn't get traded and Seattle doesn't take him in the expansion draft, the Kings could very well have $12M+ committed to goaltending in the 2022-23 season.
- tkecanuck341

I suspect that Petersen wanted the deal to take him to UFA and probably wouldn't have even accepted double the AAV to buy out several UFA years. After all, this is a kid who stayed in school and then exploited the same college "loophole" that Jimmy Vesey did to walk away from the team that drafted him (the Sabres) and make himself a UFA. I imagine that he's looking to do that again... not necessarily to walk away from LA, but give himself the power to pick his team. For example, what if he finds it harder to unseat Quick than we all thought and/or the Kings are still a bad team 3 years from now? He'll be able to find a better situation, whereas he would've been stuck on the team if he'd signed a longer contract just now.

Did Brickley get a pay cut? I remember his average salary was $1 or $1.3 when he signed. I've watching him in Ontario and can't say I'm surprised that he's Trevor Lewis 2.0 except Trevor can play better defense.

Did Brickley get a pay cut? I remember his average salary was $1 or $1.3 when he signed. I've watching him in Ontario and can't say I'm surprised that he's Trevor Lewis 2.0 except Trevor can play better defense.
- kingsfan626

His NHL salary was $700K last season, so it's unchanged. His AHL salary doubled, though, so he'll make more for any games that he spends in Ontario. Also, he's a defenseman. Maybe you meant that Amadio is like Trevor Lewis?

If enough of them turn into bonafide stars that command $8M+ contracts all at the same time, that's a good problem to have. I doubt that any of them will, though, much less several of them. None of them are as highly touted as the major kids that the Leafs needed to sign--Matthews, Marner, Nylander--who were all top-10 overall picks. It's more likely that the ELC players will be looking for around what Kempe is looking for now (i.e. $3M). Signing all of them for around that shouldn't be any problem, especially when you consider that Brown's and Carter's contracts both end at exactly the same time, Kovalchuk's will have ended, Toffoli will be gone, Quick may well be gone and Richards' and Phaneuf's buyout cap hits will be only ~$1M each. That's nearly $30M off of the books compared to 2019-20. LA is liable to be swimming in cap space at the end of 2022.

I suspect that Petersen wanted the deal to take him to UFA and probably wouldn't have even accepted double the AAV to buy out several UFA years. After all, this is a kid who stayed in school and then exploited the same college "loophole" that Jimmy Vesey did to walk away from the team that drafted him (the Sabres) and make himself a UFA. I imagine that he's looking to do that again... not necessarily to walk away from LA, but give himself the power to pick his team. For example, what if he finds it harder to unseat Quick than we all thought and/or the Kings are still a bad team 3 years from now? He'll be able to find a better situation, whereas he would've been stuck on the team if he'd signed a longer contract just now.
- Osprey

I understand exactly why Petersen wants a 3 year deal. It's obviously in his best interest and gives him an out should he not run away with the starting job. However, from a team perspective, 3 years is the worst case scenario. This is the last controlled contract negotiation the Kings have with their presumptive heir to the goaltending throne, and they gave the player exactly what he wanted.

I would have given him $3M AAV to get him to sign at least until the end of Quick's current contract instead of making him a UFA in the worst year possible. Like you pointed out, cap space isn't going to be an issue over the next several years, so it's better to be overly generous now when it doesn't matter so much than risk having a situation where Vilardi, Kupari, and Petersen all exceed everyone's expectations and are due Aho/Marner/Hellebuyck type contracts. Sure, it would be a nice problem to have, but why not plan for it while the team has the flexibility.

If the Kings gave Petersen a four year contract for a higher AAV, and for some reason doesn't work out in LA, then at least he makes a bit more money during his RFA years and he only has to wait one extra season to find a better situation. If he does prove to be the goaltender everyone hopes he is, then the Kings can use the money from Quick's contract expiration to give him the payday that he wants. Better for both sides.

Good signings, but am I the only one that thinks Amadio belongs in Ontario? I truly don't see what he brings to this team. Other than him, I was happy to see everyone sign.

Petersen's contract is interesting. This means that Kings are thinking they will either re-sign Campbell to an extension this year and move Quick or trade Campbell and have Peterson as back-up before the year ends. I really doubt Blake will let Campbell walk at the end of the year as UFA. I like the 3 year term - it would have been cool to sign him for longer but as good as he's looked in a handful of games so far, it's hard to say that he's proven himself long term. Hopefully he continues to trend in the right direction and takes over as number one in a couple of seasons.

On a side note, anyone else thinking about going to the Salt Lake Shootout? Did anyone go last year? I am considering going since I really miss the Frozen Fury, and seeing them play the Golden Knights at Tmobile isn't the same feel. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Lastly, so happy to have Matt writing for the Kings column here. I think you've already posted more quality stories than anyone else here for the Kings since Big Mouth Barry
- kororr

Hey Kororr -

I agree and think the Petersen deal is a little bit of a “let’s see what you can do” with a longer look (eventually).

And thanks for the kind words

Osprey & TheCanuck -

Love your guys insight into contracts and the business side of things

Always great info and things to think about!

Osprey & TheCanuck -

Love your guys insight into contracts and the business side of things

Always great info and things to think about!
- Matt.Ross

Nice to have a place to comment again. I used to be a regular around here until Sheng Peng defected to Vegas (and now to San Jose). Keep up the good work.

Hey, just have a question for any of you who were watching last season closer than I could at the time. Matt Luff seemed to provide an offensive boost the times he was in the lineup, but was often a healthy scratch and then I think was sent back to Ontario. Was that just a Willie thing or did he lack any kind of defensive game? Thanks.

Hey, just have a question for any of you who were watching last season closer than I could at the time. Matt Luff seemed to provide an offensive boost the times he was in the lineup, but was often a healthy scratch and then I think was sent back to Ontario. Was that just a Willie thing or did he lack any kind of defensive game? Thanks.
- yesitscal

He apparently had attitude and work ethic problems as reported by both Stevens and Stothers. They said he had to make some changes to his practice approach if he ever wanted to get NHL playing time.

I'm looking for the link to the quote from LAKI. I'll come back and post it when I find it.

Edit:

It's partially referenced here:

Ontario Reign Insider: FINAL - Iowa 5, Ontario 4

Attitude improvement referenced here:

Ontario Reign Insider: Luff, Amadio take steps towards full-time NHL role

Would Petersen be expansion draft eligible to Seattle in 2021?

Would Petersen be expansion draft eligible to Seattle in 2021?
- KingsFan67

Yes. If the Kings want to keep him, he will require protection. He will most undoubtedly be the goaltender they protect.