5 L.A. Kings Who Won't Return Next Season

3. Matt Roy, D

Turning things over to the defense, Matt Roy is another UFA who might not return to the Kings for the 2024-25 year.

Roy has been a solid two-way defender throughout his run with the Kings, firmly cementing himself inside of their top-two pairings. Nevertheless, he'll likely garner a ton of attention when he hits the open market this offseason as several teams will be hungry to add a right-handed blueliner who can play in just about any situation. As much as he may love it in Los Angeles, money talks at the end of the day.

Additionally, the Kings might not have a spot in the lineup for Roy anymore.

Brandt Clarke, who the Kings drafted eighth overall in 2021, is one of hockey's more promising defenders and could be in line for a boost in playing time if he's to take his game to the next level. If Los Angeles intends to promote Clarke to the second pairing, I doubt they'll want to pay Roy a ton of money to play on the third pair.

With Roy being a defensive liability during this playoff run, the Kings might be even more inclined not to offer him another contract. Unless he's willing to take a major discount and reduction in minutes, all we can say is this: thanks for the memories, Matt.