Day 1 of this free agent cycle was relentlessly busy for general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings.
Many of the questions surrounding what the Kings would do to address key roster needs and add more talent and depth at positions of need this offseason were answered at the start of this free agent cycle. The Kings added more depth at key positions in the roster lineup, including winger, center, and the blue line.
The Kings also did a good job of adding proven players who can upgrade the roster for new head coach Peter Laviolette and staff going into this upcoming season.
The Los Angeles Kings didn't need the flashiest offseason to improve, and these free-agent signings show why
There are still a handful of roster needs the Kings are looking to address before the start of training camp and the preseason this fall. But Holland and the front office did well to add proven experience and true veteran depth at key positions on the roster without giving up too much cap flexibility or committing to expensive long-term contracts.
Here are the three best unrestricted free agent signings so far this summer for Holland and the Kings ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Mats Zuccarello, W
The best and most productive playmaker Holland and the Kings signed on Day 1 of the unrestricted free agent window this past Wednesday was the former Minnesota Wild veteran winger Mats Zuccarello.
It was a great job by Holland and the Kings front office to be able to sign Zuccarello to an incentive-laden and low-risk one-year contract worth only $1 million in base value for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The Kings managed to get a player who scored 54 points in 59 games this past regular season with the Wild for just $1 million in base value. Zuccarello is a proven playmaker who can instantly upgrade the top-six forward group for the Kings this upcoming season, and he has familiarity playing with winger Kevin Fiala from their time playing in Minnesota together (from 2019-2022).
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