LA Kings Future Remains Bright After Re-Signing Key Free Agents
The future for the LA Kings just got brighter as GM Dean Lombardi announced Thursday that Nick Shore, Jordan Weal, Andrew Crescenzi, Nick Dowd ,and Vincent LoVerde all signed extensions.
Shore and LoVerde each signed for two years, while Weal, Crescenzi, and Dowd all signed one year contracts.
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Shore saw some playing time with the Kings last year, making his debut January 17 against the Anaheim Ducks and recorded his first NHL point against the San Jose Sharks on January 21. His first goal would come against the New York Islanders on March 26. He would be a huge asset for the Manchester Monarchs during their Calder Cup run as he led the team in assists with 14 and finished fourth in points with 18.
Weal last season played in 73 games in Manchester and totaled 69 points. He ended up ranked third in the AHL in points and assists. Weal also appeared in 19 postseason games and earned 22 points. He was awarded MVP last year after he tied for the league lead in points, tied for third in goals, ranked fifth in assists, and tied for second in game-winning goals. Drafted by the Kings in the 2010 Draft, the 23-year-old Weal has played in a total of 239 games in Manchester and has recorded 173 points. He appeared in a total of 27 playoff games and earned 27 points.
Crescenzi appeared in 54 regular season games and totaled 15 points. He set career-highs in goals, assists, games played, points, and penalty minutes. He also played in 18 postseason games. Acquired in a trade with Toronto last season, Crescenzi totaled in 117 AHL games between both teams and earned 22 points.
Dowd appeared in 75 games in his debut season last year in Manchester and recorded 41 points. He appeared in all 19 playoff games last season and finished with 13 points. Drafted in 2009, Dowd has totaled in 82 regular season games and earned 44 points.
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LoVerde played in 63 regular season games last campaign and totaled in 20 points at Manchester. He also appeared in all 19 postseason games and earned 10 points and played 27 minutes. After signing on as a free agent last season, LoVerde appeared in a total of 184 regular season AHL games and totaled in 53 points.
The secret to the recent success the Kings have had in the last four seasons has been the contribution of the young players who have been called up from Manchester. Players such as Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Jordan Nolan, and Dwight King have put up impressive numbers with the Kings since being called up. Also, with the Monarchs recent Calder Cup win last season shows that the future looks full of talented young players ready to contribute for the Stanley Cup. Re-signing key guys such as these five is vital to setting up a firm foundation for the future of the Kings organization.