Kings sign Anderson to 8-year extension
While the hockey world was laser-focused on the Kings adding a defenseman, they were quietly finalizing the terms of a deal that would lock up one of their top existent rearguards for the long haul.
Mikey Anderson and the Kings agreed to a $33 million contract extension over the maximum duration allowed, eight years, giving the pact an annual average value of $4.125 million.
The team made the announcement even as most of the North American hockey news media was searching for links between the Kings and another left-shooting defenseman, Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes. His longstanding trade request appeared on the cusp of being met, and he has been attached to the Kings with greater intensity than ever in recent days.
Anderson, 23, debuted late in the 2019-20 season, participating in six games, all victories, before play was suspended due to the pandemic. The following campaign, he'd make an unlikely ascent from fourthround pick to first-pairing defenseman, finding a permanent home alongside Drew Doughty. Anderson is part of a new generation of staunch rearguards who utilize four-way mobility, keen positioning and adroit timing rather than physical play to control games defensively.
“We're excited to have a player of Mikey Anderson's caliber signed to the Kings long-term,” said Kings vice president and general manager Rob Blake. “Mikey has not only developed into a trusted, shut-down player on the ice, but a well-respected individual in the room that we envision continuing to grow into our leadership core.”
Relative to his performance in the NHL, Anderson's extension projects as a tremendous value, not unlike the seven-year, $28 million deal Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi signed early in his career. Though Anderson does not possess anything resembling the offensive prowess of Josi, his ability to match up against top opponents and initiative in the dressing room would not be difficult to quantify if he were to have hit the open market.
Relative to his draft standing, Anderson's career has already been a remarkable success. Selected No. 107 overall in 2017, he faced an uphill climb to even make the league, let alone earn more than $35 million across more than a decade. Of the 31 players selected alongside him in the fourth round, Anderson is one of only a dozen to have made his NHL debut. His 172 games played trail only Ottawa forward Drake Batherson among just four 2017 fourth-rounders who have logged 100 or more matches.
Anderson signed a oneyear deal worth $1 million before the season started, with the Kings in a salary-cap crunch and his restricted free agency status not yet giving him an option to file for salary arbitration. Anderson remained upbeat, confident that better, and larger, fortunes were ahead.
“Keep playing the way I have the last couple years and then, in a year, reevaluate and see where we're at,” Anderson said of the approach he was taking, guided by his agent, Jay Grossman.
His extension also gives the Kings a clearer idea of what salary considerations they'll have to navigate going forward as the March 3 trade deadline looms. Four points separate three teams atop the Pacific Division and the Western Conference wild-card race is nearly as tight. The Kings have been linked to multiple high-profile trade targets, though none more closely than Chychrun, a 24-year-old blue-liner whose tools are similar to Anderson's but with more of an offensive bent than a defensive inclination.
With Anderson's extension, that of forward Trevor Moore earlier this year and last week's one-year agreement for goalie Pheonix Copley, the Kings can focus on the deadline with a fairly firm idea of their cap situation for next year. Only breakout performer Gabe Vilardi, another 23-yearold 2017 draftee, may present a challenge to re-sign. He is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent to be, a status that gives the Kings some flexibility in negotiations.