{"id":15154,"date":"2017-08-27T22:51:37","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T02:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=15154"},"modified":"2017-08-27T22:51:37","modified_gmt":"2017-08-28T02:51:37","slug":"chris-lee-signs-pto-los-angeles-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2017\/08\/27\/chris-lee-signs-pto-los-angeles-kings\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris Lee Signs PTO with Los Angeles Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was announced this afternoon that defenceman Chris Lee<\/strong> has signed a professional tryout contract with the Los Angeles Kings<\/a>. Lee, 36, has never played for an NHL team, nor was he drafted by one.<\/p>\n

Over the course of the past four seasons, Lee has played as a member of Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the KHL. He has consistently put up strong offensive numbers, including 65 points in 60 contests this past season. In addition to that career-high point total, he put up 14 goals, also the best performance of his career.<\/p>\n

On a whole, Lee managed 179 points in 227 games with Magnitogorsk, and won the award for Defenceman of the Year in 2011-12 with Manheim Eagles of the DEL. He is also a two-time winner of the Gagarin Cup as KHL champion. Lee brings to the table a skill set of puck movement and mobility, as well as the ability to work effectively on a power play. In a league that continues to move more towards offence from the back end, Lee appears to be a worthwhile gamble to take. Additionally, using renowned hockey statistician Rob Vollman’s conversion strategy, Lee was projected to have scored roughly 66 points in a full NHL season in 2016-17.<\/p>\n

Chris Lee Signs PTO with Los Angeles Kings<\/h3>\n

Lee has also accumulated a respectable AHL resume, playing on a variety of squads from 2006 through 2010 (the Albany River Rats, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, Iowa Stars, Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton Penguins). This past Spring, Lee was the only non-NHL skater to be named to Team Canada’s roster. He partook in seven games, scoring two points in the process.<\/p>\n

Lee will be looking to make a Kings squad that finished 10th in the Western Conference, and fifth in the Pacific Division this past season. Should he make the team, he will be joining a blue line that features former Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty<\/strong><\/a>, as well as the likes of Jake Muzzin<\/strong><\/a> and Alec Martinez<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Report: Chris Lee will attend #LAKings<\/a> camp on a PTO. https:\/\/t.co\/yx3jZI14xL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7frEgA8HaY<\/a><\/p>\n

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 27, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n