The Los Angeles Kings signed former Washington Capitals’ left-handed defenseman Joel Edmundson to a four-year contract that will carry a $3.8 million cap hit after the unrestricted free agent market opened at 12 noon ET on Monday.
Washington acquired Edmundson from the Montreal Canadiens for the 2024 78th (Logan Sawyer) and 210th (Makar Khanin) overall picks exactly one year ago Monday and traded the 31-year-old to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2024 83rd overall pick (which was flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights in the trade that sent goaltender Logan Thompson to the nation’s capital on Saturday) and the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2025 fifth-round pick on March 7.
While averaging 16:26 per game (sixth among Washington defensemen), including 1:31 shorthanded (fifth), Edmundson recorded a goal, six points, a -5 rating, 47.65% five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, 46.47% five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and 48.38% five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage in 44 games this season. He missed the first 14 due to a fractured hand.
After getting flipped to Toronto, Edmundson tallied a +3 rating, .4735 five-on-five Corsi-for percentage, .4809 five-on-five expected goals-for percentage, and .5 five-on-five scoring chances-for percentage while averaging 17:48 per game (sixth among Toronto defensemen), including 2:41 while shorthanded (second), in nine games. Edmundson also notched an assist and -1 rating in Toronto’s seven-game first-round exit.
In 530 career NHL games with Toronto, Washington, Montreal, the Carolina Hurricanes, and St. Louis Blues, Edmundson has 29 goals, 110 points, and a +21 rating.
In 82 career postseason outings, he has earned six goals, 22 points, and a +6 rating. Edmundson won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019 and made the Stanley Cup Final with Montreal in 2021.
By Harrison Brown
