Kings sign forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan to one-year contract extension (AAV: $775,000)

The LA Kings have signed forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan to a one-year contract extension, carrying an AAV of $775,000.

While forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan was not tendered a qualifying offer yesterday afternoon, there was also a thought that he might re-up on a different contract with the organization to remain with the Kings. Today, he does exactly that, as he signs a one-year extension to remain with the only team he’s known at the NHL level. The Kings retain a player they have developed, a player they know and a player they like. More on his deal below –

Instant Analysis –
This makes a ton of sense for the Kings. The reason not to offer Anderson-Dolan a qualifying offer came down to arbitration rights. It’s clear, however, that the two sides were in discussion and that there was always the possibility that Anderson-Dolan could stick around for another contract with the team. For the player, he nets a one-way contract for the first time in his career and even though he spent all of last season in the NHL, he gets the security there, plus a small raise. For the Kings, they get a versatile forward for the league minimum rate. The Kings need forwards at or around league-minimum and Anderson-Dolan is a known commodity. The Kings like him, both personally and professionally, so this is an easy win for both sides.

This past season, Anderson-Dolan occupied one of the team’s most challenging roles, but did so with the right attitude and approach. He was, often, the team’s 13th forward on many nights, which led to a lot of pinch hitting throughout the course of the season. Anderson-Dolan played two of the first 17 games of the season but followed that with an extended stretch of games when he was in the lineup, playing anywhere from the second line to the fourth line, both at center and on the wing. To close the season, he played just six of the team’s final 27 regular-season games, but did appear in four of six playoff games.

Should Anderson-Dolan occupy that same role this season, it makes all the sense in the world to bring him back. The Kings are unlikely to use a 23-man roster this season due to salary-cap constraints, so players who are slotted lower in the lineup need to have versatility in their game. Anderson-Dolan’s role could certainly expand and he can play with different guys in different situations. Having someone who can play both center and wing, who is as comfortable playing alongside Kevin Fiala as he is Carl Grundstrom, is an important guy to keep around. Versatility was a big part of Anderson-Dolan’s 2022-23 season and it’s a big part of why the Kings wanted to bring him back this season.

Off the ice, this is a high-character player who fits in well within the locker room. When drafted, Anderson-Dolan had leadership traits that have shined through from the moment he walked in the door. He had those capabilities playing in the AHL as a 20-year-old and was wearing a letter by his second season with the Reign in 2021-22. This past season, he handled a challenging role with grace and work ethic. He is regularly the first guy on the ice for practices, putting in extra work with assistant coach Derik Johnson to round out certain parts of his game.

Looking ahead, the name of the game continues to be the salary cap. Anderson-Dolan gives the Kings 12 forwards under contract who are presumably NHL players. The Kings have 12 forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender under contract, with 3,786,666 in salary-cap space to fill out the remainder of the roster.

From the team’s official release –

Anderson-Dolan, 23, registered 12 points (7-5=12) in 46 games with the Kings last season, marking career highs for both points and games played. He also made his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, appearing in four postseason games with the club.

A second round (41st overall) selection by the Kings in the 2017 NHL Draft, Anderson-Dolan has played parts of five seasons with the Kings, tallying 24 points (14-10=24) in 96 NHL contests. He has also skated in 112 games with the Ontario Reign, the Kings primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), posting 77 points (32-45=77) in that span. In eight AHL Calder Cup playoff appearances, he tallied one assist.

Prior to his professional career, the 5-11, 200-pound forward played parts of five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, registering 236 points (113-123=236) in 244 appearances and earned WHL First All-Star Team honors in 2018. After serving as an alternate captain for two seasons (2016-18), Anderson-Dolan was named captain for the 2018-19 season. He also added 25 points (8-17=25) in 29 WHL playoff games with Spokane.

Internationally, the Calgary, Alberta native has represented Canada in three International Ice Hockey Federation events and twice done so in leadership roles, including one IIHF Men’s World Championship (2021 – gold), one IIHF World Junior Championship (2019 – alternate captain), and one IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship (2017 – captain). In 20 appearances, he has collected three points (1-2=3).