The Los Angeles Kings signed free agent defenceman Ben Hutton to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million for the season. This contract carries him through the 2019-20 season.
#LAKings sign LD Ben Hutton to a one year, $1.5M contract.
— LA Kings Insider (@lakingsinsider) September 18, 2019
Kings Sign Ben Hutton
Hutton has played only for the Vancouver Canucks in his five-year NHL career. He has put up 11 goals and 59 assists for 70 career points in 276 career games. Vancouver originally drafted him in the fifth round, 147th overall of the 2012 NHL Draft.
Last season he scored five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 69 games. He also added 43 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 46.4 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -2.7.
The Brockville, Ont. native registered 22 minutes, 21 seconds of ice time last season for Vancouver. That was good enough for second-most on the team.
What This Means for the Future
Hutton is a big body at 6-foot-2-inches and 202 pounds, but he’s also a decent skater for his size. He’s also capable of chipping in on offence when needed. The Brockville, Ontario native can also move the puck and is a good passer.
He’s struggled in advanced stat metrics, including negative differentials in shot-attempts, shots, scoring chances and goals.
Vancouver did not give the 26-year-old a qualifying offer and he became a free agent. He could find a place as a solid depth defenceman. Hutton had a solid rookie campaign with 25 points, including 24 assists in 2015-16.
The Kings get a second-pair defenceman that will look to help a team trying to rebuild. He’s the fourth-highest paid blueliner on the team.
Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs were looking at Hutton as a cheap depth option for a defence that is undergoing a makeover., but the Kings eventually won out and got Hutton. A solid year from him will likely get himself a new multi-year deal from the Kings or another team.
Vancouver Canucks defenceman Ben Hutton. (Getty Images)
