Champion Kings maintain status quo
The Los Angeles Kings had so much fun winning the Stanley Cup that they decided to try again. All of them.
Potential free agent forwards Colin Fraser and Jarret Stoll re-signed with the Kings before they hit the open market. Then, on July 1, unrestricted free agent Dustin Penner bypassed multiyear offers from other teams and returned to the Kings on a one-year, $3.25 million contract.
Those signings meant that, barring any trades, injuries or signings, the Kings will be able to return the exact same roster they used when they went 16-4 in the playoffs and won the Stanley Cup.
In the weeks after the Cup victory, general manager Dean Lombardi had weighed the merits of tweaking the lineup, with the thought that perhaps a bit of change might keep the team from going stale and complacent.
In the end, though, Lombardi took into account the strong team chemistry and the fact that the Kings have a young core of talent that will be able to stay intact for multiple years.
That's not to say that Lombardi didn't attempt to improve the roster.
On July 1, the Kings submitted a multiyear contract offer to Zach Parise, the top free agent available in this summer's group, but Parise ultimately signed with the Minnesota Wild.
The Kings have also made an offer to veteran free agent winger Shane Doan, who, as of mid-July, was reportedly weighing the merits of staying with the Phoenix Coyotes or moving to another team.
