Mikey Anderson will be sticking around with the Los Angeles Kings long-term.
The team announced on Wednesday that they’ve agreed to an eight-year contract extension with the 23-year-old defender worth $4.125 million annually…
“We’re excited to have a player of Mikey Anderson’s caliber signed to the Kings long-term,” Kings vice president and general manager Rob Blake said. “Mikey has not only developed into a trusted, shut-down player on the ice, but a well-respected individual in the room that we envision continuing to grow into our leadership core.”
The Kings selected Anderson in the fourth round of the 2017 draft out of the USHL. He spent the next two seasons playing for the University of Minnesota-Duluth while also representing the United States at the 2018 and 2019 World Juniors.
In 2019-20, Anderson turned pro and joined the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate. He scored three goals and 15 points over 53 games as a rookie in the AHL and made his NHL debut with Los Angeles in February. Since getting the call to the Kings, Anderson has established himself as an important part of the team’s blueline.
Anderson suited up for 54 games and logged an average of 21:11 for the Kings in his rookie campaign during the pandemic-shortened 2021 season. The following season, Anderson helped the Kings reach the playoffs despite veteran defenseman Drew Doughty missing a significant chunk of the season because of injury.
So far in 2022-23, Anderson has two goals and 13 points over 55 games and is logging 21:49 per night in all situations. He plays mostly alongside Doughty on the team’s top defensive pairing and is the team’s most-used penalty killer.
Anderson came into the season on a one-year, $1 million contract and was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
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