LA Kings Re-Sign Andreas Athanasiou to One-Year Deal

The LA Kings kicked off the free-agency period by taking care of one of their own, re-signing Andreas Athanasiou to a one-year deal.

Per Darren Dreger the Kings have signed Andreas Athanasiou to a one-year deal. Given that the Kings extended a Qualifying Offer to the 26-year-old forward on Monday, an agreement was expected to be made. Lisa Dillman confirms the deal is worth $2.7 million.

Athanasiou finished the 2020-21 season with 10 goals and 23 points in 47 games and led all Kings forwards in points-per-60 minutes at 5-on-5.

He should be among a number of players vying for a bottom-six role on the Kings.

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  Player card via JFresh Hockey

The NHL free agency period officially begins on Wednesday at 12 pm EST. So, with AA officially re-signed, it will be interesting to see which free agents the Kings will pursue in the coming days and possibly even hours.

One potential free agent who was linked to the Kings in recent weeks, however, is Gabriel Landeskog. However, those hoping that the silver-and-black would land the Swedish veteran are out of luck. As of late Tuesday evening, the Colorado Avalanche re-signed their captain to an eight-year, $56 million deal.

Still, while Landeskog is now off the market, the Kings have a few options to choose from should they hope to nab a forward including Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Bertuzzi, and defensive specialist Phillip Danault. Only time will tell, of course. Until then, though, the Kings have AA locked in for another year, keeping one of their most productive players from 2020-21 in the fold for the upcoming season and possibly beyond.

LA Kings: Top-six forwards to target after active weekend