Kings agree on 1-year deal with blue-liner Anderson

The Kings and defenseman Mikey Anderson have agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $1 million, the team announced Saturday.

Anderson, 23, has turned into a stellar value and an integral piece of the Kings' defense corps. A fourth-round draft pick in 2017, Anderson impressed during a brief stint in 2020 and the following season he earned a spot on the top defensive pairing alongside Drew Doughty.

Combining sound positioning, fluid skating and decisive puck movement, Anderson has developed into one of the stronger defensive defensemen in the NHL. He's also become something of a leader in the dressing room, having carried over experience as captain of the U.S. junior national team to the NHL, where he found his voice quickly.

“Out of the young guys, he's definitely the most mature and the guy that would be a leader down the road for us,” said Doughty, the Kings' seniormost defenseman and alternate captain. “He's definitely got to be in the secondary core of the leadership.”

Anderson played in a career high 57 games last season along with seven playoff contests, the first postseason action of his career. He recorded eight points during the campaign and a plus-six rating, despite missing significant action, most of it due to an upper-body injury.

As the pieces fell into place this summer for the Kings, GM Rob Blake stated repeatedly that Anderson's contract was a priority. Still, about two months passed between the acquisition of Kevin Fiala and the contract extension for Adrian Kempe and the short-term signing of Anderson, in large part due to Anderson's contract status as a non-arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

While a longer-term pact awaits — Anderson is set to become a restricted free agent again next summer — the Kings have at least one more item remaining on their 2022 offseason checklist.

Defenseman Sean Durzi, who shined at times last year in the absence of a plethora of defenseman, remained unsigned as of Saturday. His 27 points in 64 games as well as his confidence while handling the puck and walking the blue line were significant boosts to a team sorely lacking offensive production from the back end.

The Kings open the season Oct. 11 against Vegas.