Among the several moves that general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings made this summer, which one will ultimately prove to be the most impactful?
A piece from The Hockey Writers this week selected the signing of veteran winger Mats Zuccarello as the Kings' best move they've made this offseason.
There is a strong case to be made for Zuccarello in this instance. The Kings brought in a proven top-six playmaker who is coming off a 54-point season in just 59 games played without taking on significant long-term salary cap risk. But there are other offseason moves the Kings made this summer that could prove to be equally as important once the 2026-27 season starts.
Mats Zuccarello might be the LA Kings' savviest move, but Brandt Clarke's extension could be the most consequential
This piece from The Hockey Writers argues that while Zuccarello makes the Kings even older, that the risk of this contract is next to nothing for the team in the roster lineup. If Zuccarello doesn't pan out for the Kings this upcoming season, they can easily move on from this contract without a burden on the cap risk moving forward in the future.
If you had told even as recently as this past month that the Kings would be able to find almost a point-per-game playmaker as proven and experienced as Zuccarello to fill a top-six need offensively for this upcoming season for as cheap as they got him in free agency, I probably wouldn't have believed you.
The Kings signed Zuccarello to a one-year contract worth just $1 million in base value (loaded with plenty of incentives).
Zuccarello does fill an important top-six need for the Kings this upcoming season, but his impact on the team will be more in the short term than some of the other moves Holland and the front office made this offseason.
In terms of decisions made that could be a long-term build-out for the future foundation of this franchise, the Kings signing young defenseman Brandt Clarke to a contract extension might be the most impactful going into the future.
The Kings signing Clarke to a five-year contract extension worth around $7.4 million in average annual value is a deal that locks up one of Los Angeles' most important future assets in a time when the franchise is turning the page and transitioning away from the Anze Kopitar/Drew Doughty era.
Clarke gives the Kings a true franchise cornerstone to build around on the blue line with real long-term offensive upside and scoring production.
Meanwhile, Zuccarello gives the Kings an immediate impact by boosting the top-six forward group right now. He will contribute right away and help boost the top-six offensively on a value contract.
But Clarke can be part of the future of this franchise for much of the upcoming decade. The Zuccarello signing for the Kings is appealing because of how limited the downside risk is to the team this upcoming season. Even if Zuccarello, at 38 years old, has a disappointing season for the Kings, the team isn't stuck with his contract long-term.
Clarke's contract extension carries more long-term risk because of the larger financial commitment, but the potential is much greater in terms of future impact and upside if he does truly develop into a top-pair defenseman for the Kings.
All in all, Zuccarello's ability to impact the top six on a value contract with little-to-no risk to the Kings might be Holland's savviest move of the offseason, while Clarke's contract extension could end up being the most consequential move for the Kings' future.
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