LA Kings sign Daniel Brickley: What to expect moving forward
By Jamaal Artis
The LA Kings continued to strengthen the case for a deep Stanley Cup Playoffs run by signing highly touted free agent Daniel Brickley.
The LA Kings have pulled something of a free agent coup. It is being reported that top-rated college defenseman Daniel Brickley has decided to sign with the Kings. Brickley, a junior from Minnesota State University, Mankato, was a sought-after free agent last year as a sophomore but returned to school and positioned himself as one of the better prospects this year.
Brickley is a three-time all-WCHA and last year was named the conference defensive player of the year. Last year Brickley led the nation in scoring as a defenseman and this year ranked fifth with 35 points to go along with 10 goals.
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Brickley will be introduced Friday by the Kings in Salt Lake City. Here is what fans can expect from the signing.
Instant Help
Whether he is ready or not Brickley may be thrust into Kings defensive lineup. The Kings were dealt a blow when defensemen Jake Muzzin went down with an upper-body injury on Monday against the Calgary Flames.
After being evaluated Muzzin was declared week-to-week and was already ruled out for the rest of this week. With six games left and finding themselves in a nightly playoff hun,t the Kings may need Brickley to get up to speed to provide depth on the defense.
Some Experience
Though Brickley’s developmental career is at the NCAA level he does have some experience against NHL players. Brickley was part of Team USA at last years World Championship Tournament and did play against NHL players representing their teams. It should be noted Brickley only saw a limited amount of ice time.
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If Kings fans are worried about signing Brickley, they can look to last years collegiate free agent signing Alex Iafallo. Despite his rookie status Iafallo has proven to be an asset, able to play on the first line with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown scoring nine goals and getting 25 points. If Brickley’s game holds up to Iafallo’s then Kings fans should be happy about the move.
Someone may move on
Defensive depth is good but if Brickley really picks up the NHL game there is a possibility that the LA Kings can afford to unload a proven defenseman for another type of asset. For Kings fans that might mean saying goodbye to Alex Martinez or Muzzin in order to entice another team to give up an offensive asset.
You can’t tell the future but general manager Rob Blake has proven he’s not afraid to pull the trigger on a trade if he thinks it will help the team in the long run. Daniel Brickley will be auditioning for his place on the team, but so could some of his new teammates.