Kings’ Trade Akil Thomas, Re-Sign Samuel Helenius
Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland had a busy day on Tuesday.
He first traded forward Akil Thomas to the St. Louis Blues and re-signed forward Samuel Helenius- both transactions targeted at improving the bottom six.
Akil Thomas
Thomas was the Kings’ 51st pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. While he was a solid prospect from day one, he spent most of his career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Ontario Reign. He did get a few cracks in the NHL with the Kings roster, but only produced four goals and three assists for seven points in 32 NHL games.
A strong two-way player, he was productive in Ontario, scoring four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 19 regular-season games. A good hockey player who wore out his welcome in Los Angeles and never stuck with the big club.
Nikita Alexandrov
In return, the Kings get forward Nikita Alexandrov from the Blues. Alexandrov is 25 years old and a left-handed center. The Blues’ 52nd pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, he could not crack the NHL lineup full-time. He did manage to play 51 games with St. Louis, registering three goals and six assists for nine points and 12 penalty minutes.
A feisty forward who plays a 200-foot game, he has spent the last three seasons with the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In that time, he has 27 goals and 43 assists for 70 points and 28 penalty minutes in 73 AHL games. He will be a free agent after this season as he is currently on a 1-year, 2-way deal.
Was this a deal that will be a needle-mover or one that puts Los Angeles over the top? No.
More than likely, this was a move to give both talented players a change of scenery.
Neither player performed poorly with their teams, but neither lived up to expectations. Without gaining a full-time roster spot, both players may want to expand their roles with a new team, which is likely. Not a bad trade for both teams, but it also doesn’t mean much at this time.
Samuel Helenius
Holland also re-signed Helenius to a 2-year contract extension. The average annual value of the deal is $875,000 and expires at the end of the 2027-28 season.
The 23-year-old Helenius has been held scoreless in three Kings games this season.
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