7/18 Update – Kings Sign Dvorak, Reign Ink Ingham

Happy Tuesday, Insiders!

I have been away for the last week, taking a much-needed vacation after a long season without a ton of time away. Nothing like a quick trip to Hawaii to recharge the batteries a bit.

In that time, though, I did miss a bit of news in our LA Kings landscape. A PLD story from the airport in and Jack’s story on Alex Laferriere, edited in the airport out, kept the lights running but we’ve got a couple of contracts to report, with some insight below.

First things first, from a few days back, the Kings have signed defenseman Jakub Dvorak to a three-year, entry-level contract, with an AAV of $900,000. Dvorak was selected by the Kings during the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft last month in Nashville and we got our first taste of Dvorak on the ice last week in El Segundo at LA Kings Development Camp. Dvorak is a big man, standing at 6-5, and brings plenty size and defensive acumen with an ability to kill penalties and skating ability that the Kings believe is strong for his size.

An 18-year-old signing an entry-level contract isn’t all that much of a commitment as far as the 2023-24 season goes. Dvorak is currently slated to play in Czechia this season and per CapFriendly, he has a European Assignment Clause for the 2023-24 season, which would enable him to play for Bili Tygri Liberec overseas, though his contract also gives him the ability to play in North America should he and the organization opt for that route. He is also eligible for an entry-level slide in each of the next two seasons, which would push his contract a year down the road in full should he not play 10 games in the NHL. If that doesn’t happen in either the 2023-24 or 2024-25 seasons, Dvorak’s contract wouldn’t officially kick in until the 2025-26 season, when he plays his age-20 season. Lots of time between now and then.

From the team’s official release –

The LA Kings have signed defenseman Jakub Dvorak to a three-year, entry-level contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $900,000.

The first Kings player chosen in the 2023 NHL Draft (second round, 54th overall), Dvorak is a 6-5, 209-pound defenseman who spent last season with Bílí Tygři Liberec of Czech Extraliga, Czechia’s top professional hockey league, where he recorded two assists with six penalty minutes (PIM) in 24 games. Dvorak, 18, also spent three seasons with Bílí Tygři’s Under-20 and Under-17 teams from 2019-2022, posting 38 points (9-29=38) with 30 PIM and a plus-24 rating in 58 appearances.

A native of Liberec, Czechia, Dvorak has represented his home country on the international stage at two International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Under-18 Men’s World Championships (2023, 2022), including serving as Czechia’s captain in 2023 while notching three points (1-2=3) in five games.

Reign Sign Ingham
The Ontario Reign also made a roster move today, as they signed goaltender Jacob Ingham to an AHL contract.

Ingham’s three-year entry-level contract expired this summer and he was not tendered a qualifying offer for the 2023-24 season. The organization, though, had an interest in keeping Ingham around, though it comes in the form of an AHL contract, rather than an NHL contract. Good to see him earn a deal to remain with the organization.

Overall, Ingham was dealt a very tough hand last year, as he missed the entire season due to injury. He’s appeared in just 35 games throughout his professional career to date, with 29 of them coming at the ECHL level with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Ingham always had the toolkit – he’s six-foot five and athletic – but came in as a bit of a raw prospect when he was originally drafted. Due to injuries and a crowded pipeline at the AHL level, he’s never really gotten the chance to develop with a full season’s worth of games as a professional.

Looking at the contracts currently signed by the Kings, it’s fair to assume he’ll likely start the season at the ECHL level with the Swamp Rabbits. It’s a good chance for him to hopefully remain healthy and to rebuild his own status The Kings have four goaltenders signed to NHL contracts, with three veterans complemented by goaltender Erik Portillo, who will begin his professional career this fall. Ingham is familiar with Greenville, he spent the bulk of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons there, with the hopes of being healthy, getting game action under his belt and getting things back on track.

Easy guy to root for, wishing him the best on a new deal.

From the team’s official release –

Ingham, 23, appeared in six games for the Reign during the past three seasons while he was on an entry-level contract with the LA Kings that was signed on April 18, 2020. While Ingham missed the 2022-23 regular season due to injury, the netminder started two games for the Kings at the 2022 Rookie Faceoff in San Jose, allowing just three goals in 88 minutes of action for a 2.04 goals-against average that included a .929 save percentage with 39 saves on 42 shots.

The Barrie, Ontario native has also spent time with the Reign’s ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he’s compiled a 13-13-3 record from 29 games over two seasons with a 2.90 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and three shutouts.

A former sixth-round NHL Draft selection by the Kings in 2018, Ingham had a standout 2019-20 season with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he posted a 33-8-4 record, 2.96 goals-against-average, .917 save percentage and two shutouts in 46 appearances. His 33 wins led the OHL that year, while his save percentage ranked third and his goals-against-average ranked fifth among starting goaltenders.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound goaltender also spent three seasons with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads from 2016-19. In 177 career OHL regular-season appearances, Ingham registered a 93-61-9 record, 3.23 goals-against-average, .899 save percentage and five shutouts.

Photo via Ontario Reign