While the LA Kings are looking ahead to the NHL Draft at the end of June and the start of free agency shortly after, on Sunday, Ken Holland made his first official move as the Kings' general manager as he agreed to terms with a former draft pick. The team announced that they had agreed to a two-year entry-level contract with defenseman Kirill Kirsanov.
These are four things to know about the recent signing and what to expect going forward.
LA Kings traded up to select Kirill Kirsanov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft
Kirill Kirsanov was selected 84th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, and the LA Kings clearly wanted to add him as they would trade a sixth-round pick to move up in the round to pick him. When reading the scouting report by Elite Prospect, it is easy to understand why they would trade up:
"He can pierce through neutral-zone defences, challenge defenders one-on-one and bump the puck laterally to a teammate skating in a nearby corridor to win the offensive blue-line, and that, repetitively. Once his team establishes itself in the opposing end, he turns mostly into a distributor, moving the puck laterally and taking his chances to shoot"
Kirill Kirsanov just won a championship in the VHL
This past year, Kirsanov played in 62 regular games between the KHL and the VHL with another 21 playoff games. While he only had two playoff games with the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL, he helped the Torpedo-Gorky NN make a deep playoff run and win the VHL Championship with one goal, four assists and a +/- of +4 in 19 playoff games.
Kirsanov will participate in the development camp and Rookie Faceoff before likely beginning the season with the Ontario Reign
Last year, Kirill Kirsanov was in Los Angeles for the development camp but didn't participate due to an injury, according to Zach Dooley. He also was not at the Rookie Faceoff as his season had already begun, but with him under contract, Kirsanov should be at both.
This will help as he transitions to the NHL game, and as Dooley noted, he should begin the season with the Ontario Reign. Right now, he will be competing with players like Otto Salin, Jared Woolley, and Angus Booth but should see significant ice time.
Is Kirill Kirsanov the next Vladislav Gavrikov?
When looking at the scouting report for Kirsanov it is very easy to see similarities to a player who was a key part of the LA Kings defense last season in Vladislav Gavrikov. The Kings have a big decision over the next few weeks if they can re-sign Gavrikov but if not they could have a similar player in a season or two in Kirsanov.
Both players are left-handed defensemen with similar builds, as they are both 220 pounds, while Gavrikov is an inch taller than Kirsanov at 6'3". They also played in the KHL before coming to the NHL, as Gavrikov was a sixth-round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Draft.
However, Gavrikov was a little bit more productive in the offensive zone with 48 points over four seasons in the KHL. If the Kings are not able to re-sign Gavrikov, it wouldn't be surprising if they try to find a player to bridge the gap until the 2026-27 season with the hope of Kirsanov being able to play with the LA Kings.