Kings sign forward Akil Thomas to one-year, two-way contract extension (AAV: $775,000)

One more for you, Insiders!

The Kings have signed forward Akil Thomas to a one-year, two-way contract extension, carrying an AAV of $775,000 at the NHL level.

In signing Thomas, it completes the restricted free agent signings here on July 8. Last season, the Kings had two deals leak into September, as players with more NHL experience were among those in contention for new contracts. This season, they conclude their business early here just seven days after free agency opened last weekend, with Thomas being the fourth of four players to sign a new contract with the organization.

Instant Analysis –
Similar to Tyler Madden, who inked his deal yesterday, Thomas elevated himself from the group of players who were eligible to be qualified. Thomas and Madden have some similarities in their profiles. Both are 2018 draft selections, both are 23 years old, both are right-shot forwards and both have showcased promise through their play. What has held Thomas back so far in his short professional career has been injuries.

Thomas was a second-round selection by the Kings, with substantial development invested into a player the organization really likes. Thomas had a strong debut season in the AHL, with 26 points from 40 AHL games, but had offseason surgery after the 2020-21 season, which cost him all of the following training camp, plus the first two months of the 2021-22 campaign. When he came back, he was ineffective at first, but found his stride at the end of the season with eight goals from his final 14 games played. He carried that momentum into the offseason and had a promising start to the most recent season, but wound up suffering a season-ending injury in mid-November that cost him the remainder of the campaign. He’s played in just over 50 games over the last two seasons combined, depriving us of a proper evaluation period.

There’s a player with some promise in there, and a high-character person in the locker room, but playing a full season will be paramount towards taking the next step forward. Similar to Madden, Thomas is at a point in his career where he’s leaving the prospect phase and entering what is hoped to be a contributing phase. Coming off his latest injury, he should be ready to go for training camp come September. While an NHL spot out of camp feels like a longshot, Thomas is a player who could step back in at the AHL level and make an impact as a top-six player with the Ontario Reign, setting him up for what everyone hopes is the right path from there.

From the team’s official release –

Thomas, 23, appeared in 13 games last season for the Ontario Reign, the Kings primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), recording eight points (5-3=8) and eight penalty minutes (PIM) before injury cut his season short. The 5-11, 185-pound forward has skated in 93 career AHL games, all with Ontario, posting 47 points (24-23=47). He’s added five goals (5-0=0) in five postseason contests with the Reign.

Selected by the Kings in the second round (51st overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft, Thomas spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), accumulating 315 points (105-210=315) in 241 career games with the Niagara IceDogs and Peterborough Petes. The Toronto, Ontario native has represented Canada at three IIHF events, including, one IIHF World Junior Championship (2020 – gold) and two IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championships (2017 and 2018). In 16 contests Thomas has earned four points (2-2=4), including scoring the game-winning goal for Canada in the gold medal-game against Russia at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.