Jake Muzzin, Corsi darling, signs five-year, $20 million extension with Kings
Jake Muzzin was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007 but was never signed. Three years later he would sign with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent and play himself into a regular role, including becoming a big part of their 2014 Stanley Cup championship team.
On Wednesday, Muzzin, who was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer, signed a five-year, $20 million extension (per Dreger) with the Kings. It's a phenomenal deal for LA general manager Dean Lombardi, who will have a busy season ahead with a number of pending RFAs and UFAs.
Muzzin, 25, has been a part of the Kings organization since signing with the team as a free agent on January 4, 2010. He has played in 132 regular season games for the Kings and has 41 points (12-29=41) and 93 penalty minutes. He has played in 43 career playoff games and has 15 points (6-9=15) and 14 penalty minutes. During the 2014 Stanley Cup championship run, Muzzin played in all 26 games and had 12 points (6-6=12). Among league defensemen, Muzzin ranked first in goals, second in PPG (three) and fifth in points.
The deal now secures Muzzin, Drew Doughty, Matt Greene and Slava Voynov on the Kings' blueline through at least the 2018-19 season. Set to join that list next will likely be playoff hero Alec Martinez, who is in the final year of his deal and will be a UFA this summer.
Muzzin, who may know as a Corsi darling despite what Doughty thinks of it, looks to be another player who sees what Lombardi has built in LA and is fine with taking a little less money to stay in order to compete for a Cup every year (see: Gaborik, Marian). It's something that has worked before for teams and will keep the Kings as top contenders for the next handful of years.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
