NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames - Source: Imagn — 5 worst contracts signed in Los Angeles Kings franchise history feat. Ilya Kovalchuk(Image credit: Imagn)

5 worst contracts signed in Los Angeles Kings franchise history feat. Ilya Kovalchuk's $18.75 million contract

Modified Jul 25, 2024 03:33 GMT

The Los Angeles Kings have had a long history of big deals. The club pulled off the biggest deal in NHL history by nabbing Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers in 1988. Then, they signed him to the richest contract in NHL history at the time, paying him over $8 million per season.

However, the Los Angeles Kings have also made their fair share of contract blunders. With that in mind, here’s a look at the five worst deals in Los Angeles Kings history.

5 worst contracts signed in Los Angeles Kings franchise history

#5: Dan Cloutier

Cloutier had been the New York Rangers first-round pick in 1994. However, he made a name for himself with the Vancouver Canucks. From 2001 to 2004, Cloutier started 61, 57, and 60 games for Vancouver.

Following 13 starts in the lockout-shortened 2005-06 season, Cloutier signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings. The contract was considerably high for a goaltender at the time.

Unfortunately, the deal didn’t work out. Cloutier started 23 games in his first season, posting a dismal 3.98 GAA and .860 SV%. His next season was slightly better. However, he only started nine games and was done for good.

#4: Rob Blake

Blake is a Kings legend. He notched 59 points in the 1992-93 season in which Gretzky led the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Final.

By 2006, Blake had spent five seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. After his contract with the Avs ended, he returned to LA on a two-year, $6 million deal.

However, Blake’s production dropped significantly. He went from 51 points in his last year with the Avs to 34 in LA. The following season, his points dropped again. Ultimately, the Kings paid Blake, like a top-pairing defenseman at the time, for less-than-stellar production.

#3: Dustin Brown

Brown will always be remembered in Los Angeles Kings lore as the captain who led the club to two Cups. However, his contract also became a problem for the club, particularly in the latter portion.

Brown led the Kings to the club’s second Cup in 2014 after a mediocre 27-point season. Nevertheless, the Kings signed Brown to an eight-year, $47 million extension in the 2014 offseason.

Sadly, Brown never lived up to the deal. His point totals consistently dipped, though he did have a bounce-back season in 2017-18, registering 61 points in 81 games. Brown was famously stripped off his captaincy in 2016.

Brown played out the remainder of the deal, though he never recaptured the leadership role he once had.

#2: Mike Richards

Richards was the Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick in 2003. He had several good seasons in Philly, including a 30-goal, 80-point season in 2008-09. That performance motivated the Flyers to give Richards a 12-year, $69-million deal.

Following two disappointing seasons, the Flyers dumped Richards’ contract on the Kings. Richards never lived up to the deal. However, that wasn’t the worst part. The Kings placed Richards on waivers with the intent to terminate his contract following a 2015 arrest at the US-Canada border.

While Richards filed a grievance with the NHLPA to challenge the Kings’ decision, the Kings ultimately reached a settlement with Richards after an arbitration hearing. Richards then signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals during the 2015 offseason.

He managed just five points with the Capitals in 39 games during his final season.

#1: Ilya Kovalchuk

There is a long and complex backstory with Kovalchuk. In short, Kovalchuk, the Atlanta Thrashers’ first-overall pick in the 2001 draft, famously turned down a 17-year deal with the Thrashers.

Then, the New Jersey Devils offered a 15-year pact that was axed by the NHL, leaving him with a 12-year deal worth a mind-boggling $77 million at the time. Shockingly, Kovalchuk walked away from the contract three years into it. He officially retired from the NHL and headed back to Russia in 2013.

By 2018, Kovalchuk wanted to return to the NHL. So, the Kings gave him a three-year, $18.75 million deal. While Kovalchuk put up a fairly decent 34 points in 64 games for the Kings, his poor play, to the tune of -26 rating, prompted the Kings to scratch Kovalchuk.

After a poor start to the 2019 season, Kovalchuk was put on waivers to terminate his deal. Kovalchuk played 29 games during the 2019-20 season between the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals, registering 17 points.