The Los Angeles Kings added proven experience and depth in the middle of the lineup on Day 1 of the free agent window this offseason by signing veteran centers Scott Laughton and Erik Haula to multi-year contracts.
The latter of those two new Kings' center free agent signings, Haula, found Los Angeles appealing as a destination this offseason from the moment he got the call from general manager Ken Holland.
Haula entered unrestricted free agency this summer looking for a home where he could make an immediate impact and contend for the postseason at this stage of his career. The chance to not only make an immediate impact in the middle of the roster lineup with a team that could contend for the playoffs in the Western Conference this upcoming season, but to also play with his friend and fellow Finnish forward Joel Armia was too good for him to pass up.
Erik Haula's introductory comments reveal why the Los Angeles Kings stood out in free agency
From what we heard from Haula's intoductory press conference and his statements to the media in this past week, it sounds like he believes he found the right home in Los Angeles this offseason.
Haula said that Armia was probably his "first call when this came to fruition and was an option" in free agency this offseason with the Kings.
"He was probably my first call when this came to fruition and was an option. I obviously had a lot of questions, and he was my roommate in the Olympics, so we had a lot of time to talk about things in LA and when I was in Nashville, and vice versa. He’s helped tons, for sure."Erik Haula on Joel Armia
Armia and Haula have been friends since childhood. And the two were roommates together at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy this past February for Team Finland.
There is a lot of anticipation and excitement about the opportunity that Haula has in playing with Armia and the Kings this upcoming season. Haula expressed his optimism and eagerness to get going with the Kings and how excited he was about signing with Los Angeles this offseason.
What stood out most from Haula's introductory statements and comments was the word "opportunity". He really emphasized the depth that the Kings have in the roster lineup and the competition going into training camp and the preseason this fall.
"Overall, the discussion has been that there’s good opportunity and we’re going to try different things out. We have a pretty deep forward group, I would say, so I’m sure they’re going to try different things out and see what works the best. For me personally, it doesn’t really matter. I feel pretty confident that we’re going to make it work."Haula
The Kings signing Haula gives the team more versatility and proven depth in the middle of the lineup, which is very needed after the retirement of center captain Anze Kopitar this offseason. We don't know yet where exactly Haula fits in the Kings roster lineup this upcoming season.
But his two-way game and ability to contribute on both sides of the ice and on special teams on the penalty kill allows him to make an impact in multiple phases of the game for the Kings. He can also produce offensively as a depth contributor on that side of the ice.
The Kings and new head coach Peter Laviolette could realistically put either Haula or Laughton in the middle six at the center position. Those players also have enough versatility in the forward group to play winger if needed this upcoming season.
One thing that is clear going into training camp and the preseason this fall is that all these proven and experienced forwards in this deep group up front for Holland and the Kings will have to compete for their spots in the lineup for opening night. Holland and the Kings added multiple contributing pieces to the roster lineup in free agency this offseason, including more center depth, a top-six playmaker on the wing, and more bodies on the blue line.
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