After adding veteran forwards Mats Zuccarello and Corey Perry on one-year contracts in the early hours of free agency on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings continued to build up front in the afternoon.
The Kings announced they had signed forward Erik Haula to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.6 million. And moments later, they announced, in a separate news release, they had re-signed forward Scott Laughton to a three-year contract extension worth an average of $3.5 million.
A seventh-round selection by the Minnesota Wild back in 2009, Haula finished last season with 14 goals and 38 points as the Nashville Predators failed to make the postseason in the Western Conference.
A 35-year-old center from Pori, Finland, Haula also played in the Winter Olympics for Team Finland, helping the club to a bronze medal with a 5-1 victory over Slovakia on Feb. 21. He finished the tournament with three goals and six points.
Haula's last contract was for three years with a salary cap hit of $3.15 million. Next season will be his 14th in the NHL.
The No. 20 overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Flyers, Laughton was dealt from Toronto to Los Angeles at the trade deadline last season in the final days of a five-year, $15 million deal. In 43 games with the Maple Leafs and 21 with the Kings, he finished with 13 goals and 20 points.
Laughton, 31, saw his role upgraded with Los Angeles, averaging 15:46 time on ice as the Kings rallied to make the postseason in the Western Conference. In a four-game sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, the Oakville, Ontario native was held scoreless.
Next season will be Laughton's 14th in the NHL, and he will enter it just 11 points away from 300 for his career.
