In a move that really shouldn’t surprise anybody who reads Mayor’s Manor on a regular basis, Andre Lee has signed a new two-year contract extension with the LA Kings. It carries an average annual value (AAV) of $775K and runs through the 2026-27 season.
Originally selected in the seventh-round (188th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Lee made the Kings roster out of training camp last October. To date, he has played 19 games thus far this season — and could potentially be recalled again before this season ends. Just 24 years old, Lee made his NHL debut on Oct. 10 and scored his first career NHL goal on Jan. 1, 2025 against New Jersey.
Next season, Lee is expected to be a full-time NHL player, with the 6-foot-5 forward anchoring a spot on the team’s fourth line. Throughout his career, he’s shown to have good hands, especially in tight. In college, he scored 64 points (31G, 33A) in 87 games, along with a plus-26 rating. While not always a frequent scorer — that’s not the best part of his game — he’s been known to score timely goals in big moments.
In 28 games for the Ontario Reign this season, Lee has been adapting to a different role, in anticipation of his graduation to the NHL next season. Along with a defensive first mindset, he’s also recorded nine points (3G, 6A) as a winger. Last season was his finest year with the Reign, setting career-highs in goals (8) and points (13) over 36 games. He later added four goals in eight Calder Cup Playoff games, second-best among all players on coach Marco Sturm’s roster.
By making his NHL debut, Lee became the sixth different skater selected by the Kings in the 2019 NHL Draft to appear in an NHL game. He also continues the recent success LA has had mining the late rounds for NHL talent.
For more context on the Kings roster and salary cap situation for next season, see the article linked below.
Additional information from the Kings PR release on his signing:
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