In addition to Cody Ceci, the Los Angeles Kings would also sign free agent Brian Dumoulin to be the other half of their new third pair on defense. Dumoulin is similar to Cody Ceci in terms of experience as he has played 12 years in the NHL with a majority of that time spent in Pittsburgh with the Penguins.
In addition to his experience, Dumoulin has playoff experience and has won two Stanley Cups during his time with the Penguins. This past season he began with the Anaheim Ducks but would be traded to the New Jersey Devils, playing in 19 regular season games and five playoff games.
Reason to love the signing of Brian Dumoulin: Solid Corsi For %
The Kings certainly wanted a veteran third pair and they achieved that with Dumoulin and Ceci. However, one thing that stands out specifically for Dumoulin is his Corsi For %, which is a measure of how well teams control the puck when they are on the ice.
In eight of the past 10 seasons, Dumoulin has had a CF % over 50% in 5-on-5 situations and the only two times he didn't was in 2021-22 when it was 49% and this past season at 46%. However, this past season that percentage jumped to 55% when he joined the New Jersey Devils.
For the Los Angeles Kings, in what was a strong defensive system last season the Kings should expect Dumoulin to be closer to the percentage he had with the Devils compared to the Ducks.
Reason to hate the signing of Brian Dumoulin: Contract
Brian Dumoulin is going to be a solid addition for the LA Kings defense and should give the coaching staff confidence to split minutes more evenly across the three pairs. The only real issue with the signing is the contract he received, particularly the length.
Dumoulin will be turning 34 years old prior to this upcoming season so he will 36 years old by the end of his three-year deal. Now the hope for the Kings is that as the salary cap rises, the $4 million AAV won't be as much of a factor but it will still be a noticable percentage of their salary cap by the end of his contract.
Even at this point, the contract seems like a bit of an overpay so it is hard to imagine it gets better by the end as Dumoulin gets older and later into his career.