L.A. Kings, Alex Laferriere agree to 3-year contract
Frank Seravalli reported that the new deal has an average annual value of $4.1 million. According to PuckPedia, Laferriere will make $3.5 million in 2025-26 and $4.4 million in 2026-27 and 2027-28. The Kings are expected to announce the deal on Saturday.
Advertisement
Laferriere played 81 games as a rookie in 2023-24 and built upon that last season with 19 goals and 23 assists in an increased role. His ice time shot up from 13:13 in his first season to 16:32. He finished sixth in goals and seventh in points amid a well-balanced group of top-nine forwards.
The Kings are getting him at a good rate, given that the strong-skating Laferriere could continue to improve his offensive numbers if he remains on a line with two of their most skilled forwards, Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield. And the three-year term could also set up Laferriere for a much bigger payday if he's able to put up seasons of 25 to 30 goals.
In June, Kings general manager Ken Holland said he was out to look for a 'fair deal' on a shorter term with Laferriere and sounded confident about getting him signed before training camp.
'He wants to be here,' Holland said. 'He likes it here. … Real good player, real important player. Guy that can move up the roster. Can play on the third line. He can check. Conscientious. Important guy to this organization.'
If he's able to improve on his 9.8 shooting percentage and have a larger presence on the power play, Laferriere could become one of the Kings' top offensive producers. His new deal expires with arbitration-eligible RFA status one year before he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency.
The Kings are effectively done with their significant contractual dealings this summer. But they still could lock up star right wing Adrian Kempe, who will be entering his contract year.
Kempe, 28, tied for the team lead with 35 goals last season and paced the club with 73 points. He's led the Kings in scoring for the past two seasons, and his 139 goals over the last four seasons are 45 more than the next most prolific scorer on the team.
With the salary cap set to rise even further in 2026-27 after jumping to $95.5 million for this season, Kempe is due to cash in after giving the Kings a ton of production on a four-year contract that carries a $5.5 million cap number. Holland said he wanted to get through free agency and Laferriere's contract talks before tackling Kempe's expected big deal, which would start in 2026-27.
'I'm not going to trade him,' Holland said. 'He loves it here. Wants to be here. We want to keep him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Richardson exits 200m at US trials, Coleman through
Sha'Carri Richardson failed to reach the final of the 200m at the US Track and Field Championships in Oregon on Sunday, ending a turbulent week that saw her arrested for domestic violence. Richardson, the reigning 100m champion, finished fourth in her heat in a time of 22.56secs, leaving her just outside the qualifying spots for Sunday's final at Hayward Field in Eugene. The 25-year-old Texan star, who has already qualified for September's Tokyo World Championships as the reigning 100m world champion, did not comment after her race other than to wish reporters a "blessed day." Richardson was arrested and detained last Sunday after allegedly assaulting boyfriend Christian Coleman as the couple passed through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who won Friday's 100m, was the quickest qualifier for the 200m final, beating Olympic champion Gabby Thomas into second place. Jefferson-Wooden clocked 22.06secs in her heat, with Thomas just behind in 22.19secs. Richardson's partner Coleman, meanwhile, qualified for Sunday's men's 200m final, finishing second in his heat in 20.20secs, just behind world champion Noah Lyles in 19.97secs. Lyles, who is already qualified for Tokyo as the reigning 100m and 200m world champion, made a smooth start and accelerated into a lead off the bend before holding off Coleman and Kyree King. Lyles reached the final with the quickest time of the heats, with two-time Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek second fastest in 19.99secs. rcw/bb
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
James Cook sits out Bills' practice Sunday, calls it "business"
Bills running back James Cook has made it known he wants a contract extension, and he skipped the team's voluntary offseason workouts to express his displeasure at not having one. Cook, though, attended the mandatory minicamp and fully participated in the first eight practices of training camp. On Sunday, he rested. Cook did not participate in practice for the first time during camp, watching from the side in street clothes and spending time on an exercise bicycle. "Oh, nothing," Cook said, via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. "Business." Cook also answered "business" when asked whether he was holding in and about whether he planned to practice Monday. The Bills had no comment on Cook's non-participation, per Getzenberg, and Cook was not included in coach Sean McDermott's list of injured players sitting out Sunday's session. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the sides have engaged in talks and are "not . . . that far apart." Cook wants to be paid like one of the top running backs in the league after making $4.257 million for his first three seasons. He is due to make $5.271 million in base salary this season in the final year of his rookie deal. Cook, a second-round pick in 2022, has rushed for 2,638 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career. The two-time Pro Bowler also has caught 97 passes for 883 yards with seven touchdowns. The Bills extended the contracts of cornerback Christian Benford, defensive end Greg Rousseau, linebacker Terrel Bernard and wide receiver Khalil Shakir this offseason. Cook insinuated on social media early in the offseason that he was looking for $15 million a season, something that is unlikely with any team. Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million per season), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million) and Derrick Henry ($15 million) are the only running backs making at least that much per season.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sha'Carri Richardson narrowly misses qualifying for 200-meter final, ending her US championships
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Sha'Carri Richardson narrowly missed qualifying for the 200-meter final Sunday at the U.S. track and field championships, concluding what's been a tumultuous week for the sprinter in the Pacific Northwest. Richardson wound up fourth in her heat in a time of 22.56 seconds. The top two finishers in each heat advance along with the next three fastest times. Madison Whyte edged her out on time by running 22.55 seconds in the same heat. A week ago, Richardson was arrested on a fourth-degree domestic violence offense for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, sprinter Christian Coleman, at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. She was booked into South Correctional Entity (SCORE) in Des Moines, Washington, for more than 18 hours. Days later, Richardson, 25, ran the opening round of the 100 meters at nationals before withdrawing from the event. She has an automatic spot to worlds next month in Tokyo as the defending 100-meter champion. This was Richardson's first 200 race of the season. She won a bronze medal at the distance during the 2023 world championships in Budapest. It was part of a stellar showing at worlds that season, as she also won the 100 and helped the 4x100 relay to a gold. A year later, Richardson finished with the silver medal in the 100 at the Paris Games. Richardson had a positive marijuana test at the 2021 U.S. Olympic trials and didn't compete at the Tokyo Games. ___ AP Summer Olympics:
