The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed defenceman Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year contract extension. It will take MacDermid through the 2021-22 season and increases MacDermid’s cap hit to $875,000. The Kings announced the news Friday afternoon.
LA Kings sign defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year contract extension 💪 https://t.co/dkYHM1IMwz
— LA Kings (@LAKings) April 10, 2020
Kings Extend Kurtis MacDermid
MacDermid is one of the Kings’ primary physical presences on the blueline. The 25-year-old was credited with 95 hits and 43 blocks in 45 games despite averaging only 13:50 of ice time per game. He also had 47 penalty minutes even though he was used very little compared to his fellow defenders. MacDermid contributed three goals and eight points to round out his numbers for 2019-20.
MacDermid originally joined the Kings as an undrafted free agent just before the 2017-18 season. He has four goals and 13 points in 90 career NHL games. He provides almost no offensive value but has over 100 penalty minutes and almost 200 hits. MacDermid’s style is very old-school. His value is almost entirely from his physical play. He can occasionally chip in on offence but that is not what makes him valuable to a rebuilding Kings’ squad.
What to Expect Moving Forward
The Kings still have several players that will reach free agency. They have to make decisions on defenders such as Ben Hutton and Joakim Ryan. L.A. could let one or both of those blueliners walk away and give MacDermid more playing time. He will never be a scoring option but the Kings appreciate his grit and effort, especially on the penalty kill. He is a cheap, effective player that will help bridge the current roster to its future one.
Los Angeles continues to rebuild. They traded several players around the deadline and will continue to move current NHL players for future assets when this season is complete. We do not know when hockey operations will resume but L.A. will continue to sign prospects and cheap options as they wait for their next competitive window.
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