The focus on the second day of free agency for the Los Angeles Kings was to round out the roster for the Ontario Reign, and they seemed to target players who, at one point, were considered top prospects but might not have reached that potential yet. Samuel Bolduc is another player who fits into that description and agreed to a two-way contract with the Kings.
Let's take a closer look at the player and what fans might want to know about one of the newest LA Kings.
Samuel Bolduc was a second-round pick by the New York Islanders
The New York Islanders drafted Bolduc in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft one spot after Brett Leason was selected by the Washington Capitals, who has played in over 220 NHL games for his career.
At the time of the selection, Bolduc was viewed as a left-handed defenseman who had good size at 6'4" and 220 pounds, but also can contribute offensively based on what he showed in the QMJHL.
Samuel Bolduc has some NHL experience but mostly has played in the AHL
In three seasons, Bolduc has appeared in 52 NHL games with the Islanders and has four goals and four assists. However, he has played in only one NHL game since the 2023-24 season.
A majority of his time has been in the AHL, with over 200 games, and he has been much more productive with a points-per-game average of 0.44.
Samuel Bolduc was an AHL All-Star in 2023 while with the Bridgeport Islanders
The best season of Bolduc's career was the 2022-23 season as he would be named to the AHL All-Star game after setting a career-high in points with 35 in 56 games. In addition that he would also make his first-career appearance in the NHL playoffs with the Islanders and played in two games.
The Kings are likely viewing Bolduc as more depth for the Ontario Reign and certainly gives them options if they need to call someone up. Bolduc might have the most NHL experience of the defensemen on the Reign roster but would competing with players like Angus Booth and Jakub Dvorak.