The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Mikey Anderson to a one-year, $1M contract, the club announced Saturday afternoon.
Anderson, 23, scored two goals and eight points while averaging 20:07 in 57 games with the Kings during the 2021–22 regular season. He added one assist in seven games as the Kings fell to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With Anderson signed, the Kings now have just one restricted free agent left to negotiate with this summer: Sean Durzi, another 23-year-old defender who scored 27 points in 64 games last season.
The Kings originally selected Anderson in the fourth round (No. 103 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft. The 6-foot, 195-pound left-handed defenseman made his NHL debut with the Kings in 2019–20 and emerged as a regular the following season, appearing in 54 of the team’s 56 games and earning a fifth-place vote for the Calder Trophy.
Anderson is a key part of a strong Kings defensive group that also includes Drew Doughty, Matt Roy, Sean Walker, Alex Edler, Durzi, Tobias Bjornfot, Jacob Moverare, and Jordan Spence. Brandt Clarke, the No. 8 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, could also push for a spot with the Kings sooner rather than later.
Curiously, Anderson is one of only four defenders in the entire Kings organization set to earn at least $1M next season, although Edler could surpass that mark if he earns his performance bonuses. Durzi will likely also join that group once he signs.
The Kings finished the 2021–22 season as the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division, posting a 44–27–11 record and 99 points in 82 games. While they haven’t done much to change their defense this summer, they did make one big splash in acquiring forward Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild.
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