Well, nearly two months after free agency began and you can finally cross Christian Ehrhoff’s name off the list of available free agents.
The Los Angeles Kings came out of nowhere today and announced that they had come to terms with Ehrhoff on a one-year, $1.5 million deal. The Kings weren’t even a rumored potential destination for Ehrhoff, who had been closely linked to the Columbus Blue Jackets over the past few weeks. But, all things considered, the move makes sense and will help the team bolster their defensive depth after losing Andrej Sekera to Edmonton via free agency earlier this summer.
Ehrhoff averaged 21:45 minutes of ice time last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the 33-year-old will likely see a slight decline in ice time as a second pair defenseman with Los Angeles, which already sports a strong defensive trio in Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez.
Just last summer Ehrhoff was one of the most highly coveted free agent defenseman. He initially said he was looking for a multi-year deal with a contender, but opted instead to sign a one-year deal with the Penguins for $4 million. The plan backfired as Ehrhoff posted a lousy three goals and 14 points, although he missed more than 30 games of the season with a concussion.
His signing with LA has the potential to be a win-win for both Ehroff and the Kings. By only committing one-year at $1.5 million to him, the Kings aren’t in too deep if Ehrhoff struggles this season. Similarly, if he exceeds expectations, Ehrhoff could again position himself as a highly coveted talent come next summer’s free agency period.
In 11 NHL seasons, Ehrhoff has racked up 72 goals, 327 points, 483 penalty minutes and a plus-59 rating in 741 regular-season games with the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres and Penguins. He has seven goals, 34 points, 64 penalty minutes and a minus-12 rating in 73 Stanley Cup Playoff games.