Kings sign Bjornfot (two-year, one-way) + Fagemo & Madden (one-year, two-way)

A trio of roster moves for you here on this fine Friday.

Last week, the Kings extended qualifying offers to four players ahead of the NHL’s deadline. Today, the organization has agreed to terms with three of them, as defenseman Tobias Bjornfot signed a two-year, one-way contract (AAV $775,000), while forwards Samuel Fagemo and Tyler Madden both signed one-year, two-way contracts through the 2023-24 season. The two deals for the forwards comes with an AAV of $775,000 at the NHL level.

The most prominent name on this list is Bjornfot and this contract sets him up to play a meaningful NHL role this season. On a personal side, Bjornfot earned himself a one-way contract coming off of his entry-level deal, so while his AAV is lower than it was last season, his guaranteed takeaway would be higher than it’s been on his entry-level contract. As he spent the bulk of last season playing in the AHL on a two-way contract, his stability is much greater for the next two seasons. He could also greatly out-perform that contract this season, should he cement himself as an NHL regular on the third pairing, which also makes this a team-friendly contract.

Bjornfot’s progression has been interesting. During the 2020-21 season, Bjornfot’s play forced the team’s hand in keeping him with the NHL club, even though he had a season of entry-level slide eligibility remaining. Bjornfot seemed to be a good fit next to Matt Roy, where he spent a lot of time during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Last season, however, he was assigned to the AHL out of training camp, playing in just 10 NHL games after he logged 70 the season before. The package of tools is obvious with Bjornfot. Excellent skater, moves pucks well, capable of production at both ends of the ice. The question moving forward is how much can he, or will he, assert himself on a game. It’s what we’ve heard from Todd McLellan when asked about Bjornfot’s game over the last couple of seasons, wanting to see him assert those tools more into games. If he can put that together, there’s a very capable NHL defenseman in there.

Next up is Fagemo, as he’s played in NHL games over the last two seasons. Fagemo made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 campaign and had a couple of stints with the big club this past season. Fagemo played in nine games with the Kings in 2022-23, up from the four he logged the season prior, and scored his first career NHL goal against Carolina, one of three points (2-1-3) he collected in total.

Fagemo is a player with a lot of opportunity this fall entering training camp. The Kings have roster spots to be won towards the bottom of the lineup and Fagemo is a player who will be expected to come into camp and compete for one of them. Fagemo’s qualifying offer came in at $787,500, so on the NHL side, he takes a slightly lower rate, but when the rates become official, it’s likely his guaranteed compensation package comes in ahead. At that cap hit, Fagemo comes in at the same number as guys like Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Trevor Lewis and Mikhail Maltsev, leveling that playing field for a cap strapped team like the Kings. Fagemo will require waivers to be assigned to the AHL this season, which has not been the case for him in years past. By his own admission, he wasn’t particularly pleased with his training camp last season and will undoubtedly be motivated to have a strong camp in the fall, with an NHL roster roster spot up for grabs. Lots to look out for with regards to Fagemo when the Kings take the ice in September.

Regarding Madden he was a player who separated himself from the group of restricted free agents this summer.

He scored 20 goals in the AHL this season, as he set a personal career high in both goals and points. With the departure of Martin Frk on the right side, the Reign needed players to step up into larger roles and Madden saw some of that increased opportunity this season, consistently getting top-six opportunities. He also earned an NHL callup, though he did not play. Though greater consistency is needed in terms of production over the course of a full season, there’s a talented player in Tyler Madden, who has the potential to be an impact player in Ontario, with the hopes of taking that next step and translating it into an NHL opportunity.

From the team’s official release –

Bjornfot, 22, split the 2022-23 season between the Kings and Ontario Reign, the Kings primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). The 6-0, 200-pound blueliner appeared in 10 games with the Kings, earning an assist (0-1=1) with six penalty minutes (PIM) and a plus-one rating. He added 12 points (5-7=12) in 50 AHL games with the Reign.

Drafted 22nd overall by the Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft, Bjornfot is a veteran of 116 NHL games with the Kings and has registered 15 points (1-14=15). In 95 career AHL games with Ontario, he’s compiled 31 points (11-20=31) with 22 PIM and a plus-11 rating. The Upplands Vasby, Sweden native suited up for his home country in four International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events, including two IIHF World Junior Championships (2021 – bronze, 2020 – bronze) and two IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championships (2019 – gold (captain), 2018 – bronze), recording three assists (0-3=3) in 26 tournament contests.

Fagemo, 23, spent the majority of the 2022-23 season with the Reign, skating in 56 AHL games and collecting 32 points (23-9=32) to rank second on the club in goals and fifth in points. The 6-0, 200-pound forward also skated in nine NHL games and recorded three points (2-1=3), including his first NHL goal Dec. 3 against Carolina.

Selected by the Kings in the second round (50th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Fagemo has registered 94 points (60-34=94) in 151 career AHL games with Ontario. Since his AHL debut on Feb. 6, 2021, Fagemo’s 60 goals are tied for the ninth-most in the league over that span. He’s added three points (2-1=3) in 13 career NHL games with the Kings. The Goteborg, Sweden native has represented his home country in three IIHF events, including two IIHF World Junior Championships (2020 – bronze, 2019) and one IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship (2018 – bronze). In 19 appearances, he’s produced 16 points (8-8=16) with eight PIM and a plus-six rating and finished as the leading point-scorer (13 points; 8-5=13) in seven tournament games at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Madden, 23, skated in 71 games with the Reign last season, recording a career-high 33 points (20-13=33) with 12 PIM. Madden was one of three Reign skaters to reach the 20-goal plateau in the 2022-23 campaign while his 33 points ranked third on the team. The 5-11, 170-pound forward has played three seasons in the AHL, all with the Reign, where he’s accumulated 69 points (35-34=69) with 26 PIM in 133 career AHL games. Madden has also appeared in six career Calder Cup Playoff games, going scoreless.

Originally drafted in the third round (68th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft, Madden was acquired by the Kings via trade on Feb. 17, 2020. Before turning professional in 2020-21, Madden played two seasons of NCAA Division I hockey at Northeastern University (H-East), posting 65 points (31-35=65) in 63 NCAA games and helping the Huskies capture the Hockey East Championship in 2019. Internationally, the Albany, N.Y. native represented Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, earning a silver medal while collecting four points (3-1=4) in seven tournament games. Madden’s father, John, played parts of 13 seasons in the NHL from 1998-2012 between New Jersey, Chicago, Minnesota and Florida.