LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Kings have come to a one-year agreement with unrestricted free agent Christian Ehrhoff. The on-principal agreement is reportedly worth $1.5 million.
The 33-year-old defenseman most recently played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, for whom he appeared in 49 games with last season, before suffering an injury that ended his season. Ehrhoff tallied a total of 14 points, recording 3 goals and 11 assists to retain a plus/minus rating of 8.
Ehrhoff is said to have also been in talks with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, and the Columbus Blue Jackets before signing with Los Angeles.
The 6 foot and 2 inch tall, 196 pound defenseman was originally drafted in 2001 by the San Jose Sharks as the 106th overall pick. Aside from Pittsburgh, he has since played for the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres. Ehrhoff is a native of West Germany.
The Kings have been looking to add a veteran presence to its blue line following the departures of notable players like Robyn Regehr and Andrej Sekera last season.
Earlier this summer, the Kings re-signed defenseman Jamie McBain to a one-year contract for the upcoming season.
Ehrhoff’s contract agreement is considered a bargain for the Kings, who have been cautious of salary cap restraints going into this next upcoming season.
The organization is still awaiting the result regarding the NHLPA filing a grievance on behalf of Mike Richards. Richards’ contract was terminated by the Kings earlier this summer after it was decided that the player may have violated some terms of his agreement.
The future of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov remains uncertain. Voynov is currently serving out a 90-day prison term he began on July 7.
The Russian native plead no contest to one misdemeanor count of corporal injury to his wife after a violent assault incident back in October of last year. Voynov’s contract is expected to run until the end of the 2018-2019 season.