Kings sign forward Aatu Jamsen to two-year, entry-level contract (AAV: $852,000)

The LA Kings announced today that they have signed forward Aatu Jamsen to a two-year, entry level contract.

For Jamsen, he’s coming off a strong season over in Finland, playing with Pelicans in SM-Liiga. Jamsen tallied 25 points (11-14-25) during the regular season, playing in his 21-year-old season, producing well as a younger player in a men’s professional league. Jamsen and his team advanced to the championship series in Finland but fell in the finals, in five games against Teppara, after finishing third during the regular season. A strong campaign to head over the North America.

Instant Analysis
Jamsen represents an intriguing prospect for the Kings, especially when you consider where he was drafted. A seventh-round selection in 2021, Jamsen has produced quite well playing in the highest division in his native Finland. You can’t ask for a ton more than that from a player drafted in that slot. Initially, not much was known of Jamsen, who had yet to crack senior professional hockey in Finland. A bit of a find by the Kings and with a seventh-round selection, you can take a swing on a longer-term projection. While it’s early to judge the selection, Jamsen is certainly providing more excitement than you might expect to see from a player selected in that spot of the draft.

We saw flashes of Jamsen’s ability during development camp over the summer, when he was older and a bit more experienced than the bulk of the players there. It showed in his play, as he was a standout against many of his fellow Kings prospects. Jamsen was also a top-line player at the 2023 Rookie Faceoff in San Jose, the only time we’ve seen him in game situations in a Kings jersey. He’s got ability, certainly, and the Kings need players at his age range to join the Ontario Reign and continue to develop. Jamsen, for me, represents a solid bet at joining the group in that range. He will be 22 when next season begins and should be a player in the mix for minutes with the Reign next season. Ontario has several players facing a bit of a crossroads in their careers. Guys are expected to graduate to the NHL or could perhaps move on from the organization and there are a number of players in that position. Look for a few to make the jump, certainly, but to fill those spots, the Kings will beed entry-level contributors to complement the veterans who will be in place. Jamsen has a good opportunity to be one of those players.

Jamsen has spoken in the past about improving his workouts off the ice over the last year or so to put on weight, as he continued the adjustment process of working towards eventually taking his game to North America. The rinks are smaller, the game is more physical and with that requires adjustments to be made by any player coming over from Europe. As he transitions from a strong season in Finland to what he hopes will be a good season with the Kings organization, he’ll continue to place focus in those areas.

“Off the ice workouts, I gained some weight so I’m stronger and that’s the biggest thing,” Jamsen said last summer at development camp. “There’s a lot more puck battles in the smaller rinks and [the players] are a lot stronger than in juniors. That’s a big thing that I can still work on.”

From the team’s official release –

Jamsen, 21, registered 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points (14-11=25) in 36 games this season with the Pelicans of the Finnish Liiga , marking his third full campaign with the club. The Lahti, Finland native finished the 2023-24 season with five game-winning goals, the most on his team and tied for eighth most among all skaters in Liiga. Jamsen also skated in five European Champions League games for the Pelicans , recording seven points (2-5=7).

Since making his professional debut during the 2021-22 Liiga season, Jamsen has played in 113 regular season contests with the Pelicans. Over three campaigns, the 6-2, 157-pound winger posted 63 points (29-34=63) and added 10 points (5-5=10) in 29 postseason appearances across the 2023 and 2024 Liiga Playoffs.

Originally selected by the Kings in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft (190th overall), Jamsen finished his last full Under-20 season in Finland with 56 points (18-38=56) in 36 games for the Pelicans program in 2020-21, ranking second in total scoring in the U20 SM-sarja.