The free agency window opens for the unrestricted free agent market for general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings this morning (at 9 a.m. PT).
Free agency can be just as much about avoiding costly long-term mistakes as it is about making splashy, big-name additions. While the Kings and Holland have many roster needs to address this summer, not every big-name unrestricted free agent would be a wise investment for LA.
Los Angeles Kings should be aggressive in free agency, but these veterans may not be worth the investment
It's important for Holland and the Kings to be aggressive in making the right moves to upgrade the roster lineup in areas where the team needs more talent and depth. But avoiding expensive and inflated contracts for players who don't fit what the Kings need is just as important for Los Angeles this offseason in free agency.
Between free agency and the trade block, the Kings and Holland have more opportunities to improve their roster lineup without sacrificing long-term salary-cap flexibility.
Here are three unrestricted free agents the Kings should avoid when the market opens on July 1.
Jamie Oleksiak, D
Former Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak doesn't produce much offensively on the stat sheet. But he is a big and physical shutdown defender who can be effective on that end of the ice in a second or third-pairing role on the blue line.
Oleksiak is only included on this list because Holland has emphasized the Kings needing to add depth on the blue line this offseason. The Kings do plan to let the likes of defensemen Jacob Moverare and Kyle Burroughs walk in free agency.
The Kings really don't need another stay-at-home veteran blue-liner who doesn't offer much offensive upside. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best move for the Kings to sign veteran defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci to expensive, multi-year contracts while letting the likes of Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence go for little to no return last summer.
The Kings are best off finding a younger and more potent defenseman on the trade block, or signing someone who can contribute more on both sides of the ice, than a bigger and more one-dimensional blue-liner like Oleksiak.
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