The Los Angeles Kings made their first notable roster move of the 2026 offseason this past weekend.
Over the weekend, it was announced that the Kings had signed forward prospect Aatu Jamsen to a one-year contract deal, worth around $850K. The contract deal Jamsen signed with the Kings was a two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.
The Kings officially announced the contract extension deal on social media this past weekend on their X account.
Los Angeles Kings make the move to sign forward prospect Aatu Jamsen to a two-way contract
The 23-year-old forward has spent the past two seasons with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Jamsen had his best season with the Reign this past year in the 2025-26 campaign.
He registered 16 goals, a dozen assists, and 28 total points in 59 games played for the Reign this past regular season. Jamsen also scored one goal, one assist, and two total points in four postseason games played for the Reign in the Calder Cup Playoffs this spring.
In total, Jamsen has played over 90 games over two seasons with the Reign in the AHL, registering 23 goals, 16 assists, and 39 total points.
Jamsen's offensive production took a noticeable step forward during the 2025-26 season, which likely played a significant role in the organization's decision to bring him back for another year. At just 23 years old, he still has time to continue developing his game and push for NHL opportunities.
The biggest takeaway from this signing is that Jamsen will now have a legitimate opportunity to compete for NHL minutes during training camp and the preseason. If he continues his development, he could provide the Kings with another young option at forward and valuable organizational depth heading into next season.
If Jamsen can make an impression on the coaching staff and his teammates in training camp and the preseason this upcoming summer and fall, then he will have a shot to make the Kings' roster for the 2026-27 season.
The signing also reflects the Kings' continued emphasis on maintaining organizational depth. Not every prospect develops into a top-line NHL player, but teams need a steady pipeline of young talent capable of filling depth roles when injuries occur or roster changes become necessary. By bringing Jamsen back for another season, the Kings are giving themselves another potential option while continuing to evaluate his long-term NHL upside.
The Kings picked Jamsen in the seventh round (190th overall) in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
This wouldn't be the first time that the Kings have taken a chance and signed a young and developing forward prospect from the minor league and developmental system with the Reign in Ontario in the AHL. This past season, the Kings signed both center Sammy Helenius and forward Andre Lee to contract extension deals, and both players got playing time on the ice in the regular season for the team.
Even though Jamsen isn't a lock to make the NHL roster for the Kings this upcoming season, and coming out of training camp and the preseason, this signing still shows that he can earn an opportunity to make an impact up front and provide additional young depth to the roster.
If he performs well in training camp and continues producing for the Reign next season, Jamsen could position himself for his first NHL opportunity during the 2026-27 campaign.
