An Interview With LA Kings GM Ken Holland

Vladislav Gavrikov

Perhaps the biggest decision Holland has to make is what to do with soon-to-be free agent defender Vladislav Gavrikov. “I’ve had a number of conversations with his agent, Pat Brisson. Number one, we’d like to re-sign him. Certainly, when a player is an unrestricted free agent, they have the option of signing wherever they want. So obviously we have to have plan B, C, D, and E. Just in case we don’t get it done for whatever reason.”

To keep Gavrikov around, the LA Kings will likely have to pay handsomely for his services, with AFP Analytics projecting the defenseman’s next contract to be $7.6 million over seven years. And teams around the league should be willing to meet that demand.

“We have talked numbers and term. So let’s see where this goes over the next ten days, but we would like to keep him. I have made an offer.”

Andrei Kuzmenko

Acquired at the trade deadline, Andrei Kuzmenko made an immediate impact in his 22 regular-season games, tallying 17 points and adding six points in six playoff games. Will it be enough to bring him back?

“I have talked to Craig Oster (Kuzmenko’s agent). We do have interest in him coming back. But it has to work for him and the player.”

Holland is very familiar with Kuzmenko, going back to his days with Detroit. “In 2017 or 2018, I tried to sign him to a contract. And he ended up signing an extension to stay in the KHL. I’ve sort of been aware of Kuzmenko since 2017-18. I’d gone over to Russia to watch him play. Dan Milstein (Kuzmenko’s agent at the time) set up a meeting with me at that point in time. And then when he signed in Vancouver, Edmonton, we were one of the last two or three teams that he met with, then he chose Vancouver. I’ve been aware of Kuzmenko for seven or eight years, so I know a lot about him. So let’s see where it goes.”

Holland also mentioned goaltender David Rittich but offered little on whether the Kings aim to re-sign their backup from last season.

The trade market

With the salary cap seeing its first significant increase since before COVID, more teams are looking to bolster their rosters rather than sell. Holland’s early discussions with other GMs reflect this trend.

“Teams are looking to add; they’re looking to do hockey trades. Now, on the other hand, there are the odd teams that are looking down the road they’ve got, maybe not this year but next year, they’ve got some big contracts that affect the thinking of some of their players.”

Evaluating the Kings defense

There’s been plenty of discussion surrounding the build of the Kings’ defense and the need for more “puck-moving” type defenders. I asked Holland what he thinks of the LA Kings’ blueline and his mentality when it comes to building on that end of the ice.

“I think goals against is a very important stat, and that’s got to do with the goaltending and the forwards’ backchecking. Guys who know how to check and defend are very valuable, but certainly the ability to pass the puck and transition the puck from defense to offense is incredibly valuable. You need a mix. Ideally, you want everybody to defend and everybody to be able to be great passers and transition, and join the rush. That’s not a reality. I don’t even know if any team in the league has that. But you want to have a portion of your defense that can transition the puck, and some of your defense that knows how to penalty kill and match up with the other team’s best players. So you don’t need 6 or 7 goals to win. That you can win with 3 or 4.”

Reign head coach search

With Marco Sturm‘s hire as the head coach of the Boston Bruins, that leaves an opening for a new coach for the Ontario Reign. Holland said that it will be on Reign GM Richard Seeley to lead the search, but that he’ll be involved in the final decision.

“I’ve been in LA, so I was in an interview, and we’re going to do another one this week. Richard will spearhead it. So when it comes to decision-making time I’ll work with Richard and make sure we’re all comfortable with the next head coach.”

CBA notes

Income Tax

With Florida securing a second consecutive Stanley Cup, discussions about income tax advantages have surfaced. California’s higher taxes might seem like a disadvantage for the LA Kings, but Holland dismissed the notion, suggesting it doesn’t significantly impact their strategy.

“Well, first off, I would say to you, LA is an unbelievable place to live. And coming in as a road team, what a great place to play. Tons of passion from the fans. We have our practice facility in El Segundo, half of this building is Kings and half of this building is Ontario Reign. And then everybody being able to live ten minutes from here, and LAX being 15 minutes away. This is an unbelievable place to play and live. So I’m not worried about being able to recruit; this city recruits on its own.”

Holland also noted owner Phil Anschutz’s commitment to spend up to the $95.5 million cap limit to build the team.

Deferred salary

With other pro teams in Southern California taking advantage of deferred salary in contracts, including Frank Vatrano‘s with the Anaheim Ducks, I asked Holland if that is something he’d consider utilizing.

“Well, it’s a tool. Some players do want to and some players don’t want to defer money. So I think at the appropriate time, if it helped us finalize a deal, I’m all for it. But for the most part, at this stage of the game, the negotiations that I’m going through have been within the terms of whatever we’re talking. But if some player wanted that, certainly we’d be open-minded about it.”

One month into his tenure as the LA Kings’ general manager, Ken Holland is immersed in preparations for the upcoming NHL draft and free agency. Tasked with re-signing Vladislav Gavrikov, navigating the trade market, and refining the team’s defensive strategy, Holland is leveraging the Kings’ solid foundation to push them beyond recent playoff appearances toward a Stanley Cup run.