The Los Angeles Kings announced that they have signed center Samuel Helenius to a two-year contract on Tuesday.
This contract extension for Helenius comes in the final year of his entry-level deal and will kick in next season. Helenius will earn $875,000 in each of those two campaigns, beginning in the 2026-27 season.
Furthermore, the center will remain an RFA at the expiration of this next contract, as he’ll be 25 years old.
It’s been a busy Tuesday morning for Kings GM Ken Holland, making this the second piece of significant business in the span of hours.
Earlier in the day, Los Angeles dealt center Akil Thomas to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for center Nikita Alexandrov in a minor-league trade.
Trade: Los Angeles Kings Swap Centers With St. Louis BluesThe Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues have swapped former second-round picks, who both come with a handful of NHL experience.Helenius, 23, has acted as an extra forward for the Kings in the past two seasons. This year, he’s made three appearances for the Kings, while last season he played over half of the regular season.
In 2024-25, the Fin made 50 appearances in the NHL, recording four goals and seven points while averaging 8:39 of ice time.
The Kings' Good, Bad, And Uglies Of NovemberRecapping the thrilling highs and frustrating lows for the Kings in November. From road dominance to power-play struggles, dissect the team's crucial month.Before that, he spent three straight campaigns in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. After he was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft as the 59th pick, he made 142 American League appearances across the trio of seasons.
In addition, the 6-foot-6 center featured in another 20 games for the Reign last season, recording two goals and six points. But this season, he hasn’t played a single minute in the minors, as he’s been kept on as a scratch for the first quarter.
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