The Los Angeles Kings have signed two prospects to deals. The team has signed Arthur Kaliyev and Jordan Spence to three-year, entry-level contracts. The players will be with the Kings’ organization through 2022-23. The Kings announced the move late Wednesday morning.
Arthur Kaliyev and Jordan Spence have each signed three-year entry-level contracts to join the LA Kings ✒️#GoKingsGo https://t.co/lCsccwUu9w
— LA Kings (@LAKings) June 3, 2020
Kings Sign Arthur Kaliyev and Jordan Spence
Kaliyev spent 2019-20 playing what could be his final season with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. He scored 44 goals and 98 points in 57 games before play ceased. That production comes on the heels of 2018-19 when Kaliyev scored 51 goals and 102 points in 67 games. He was one of the best pure scorers in the OHL last year and was on track to surpass that this season. The Kings originally selected the 6’2″ wing in the second round of the 2019 Draft.
Spence also spent 2019-20 in the Canadian juniors but his play came with the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec League. The 5’10” defenceman had a very fine season with nine goals and 52 points in 60 games. He already surpassed his numbers from last year where Spence contributed six goals and 49 points in 68 games. Some of that is just from getting older but improvement is still something teams want to see. Spence was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft.
What This Means for the Future
Both players will factor heavily into Los Angeles’ plans. The team is starting to execute what could be a painful rebuild but they have one of the best prospect pools in the entire league. Kaliyev is a dynamic scorer and Spence looks capable of playing both directions with ease; he could end up, at worst, as the quarterback for LA’s second power-play unit in the next couple of seasons.
The Kings still have a few decisions to make regarding their NHL roster. Trevor Lewis and Ben Hutton are both scheduled for unrestricted free agency. They also have to determine how much to offer restricted free agents like Nikolai Prokhorkin and the promising 22-year-old Austin Wagner. The Kings could be very busy this offseason as the rebuild continues.
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