Kings sign Samuel Helenius to two-year contract

The Los Angeles Kings announced on Tuesday morning that they have signed forward Samuel Helenius to a two-year contract extension that will run through the 2027-28 season.

The deal will come with a salary cap hit of $875,000, providing Helenius with job security and the Kings with an affordable option to hold down a roster spot in their bottom six.

Helenius is a 23-year-old native of Järvenpää, Finland, and he made his NHL debut with Los Angeles last season, earning an extended look at the NHL level along the way. Helenius appeared in 50 games in the 2024-25 campaign in which he recorded four goals and three assists. He also played in all six of the Kings’ Stanley Cup Playoff games in their first-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers, recording an assist along the way.

Helenius appeared in 20 games at the AHL level with the Ontario Reign, putting up six points. In his 162 career contests as a member of the Reign, Helenius has 13 goals and 40 assists along with 156 penalty minutes.

The Kings chose Helenius with the No. 59 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft. Before he made the jump to North America, Helenius made 102 appearances with JYP Jyväskylä in Liiga, the top Finnish professional league.

So far this year, Helenius has played in three games with Los Angeles without recording a point.

After shaking off a slow start, the Kings have run their record to 12-6-7, good enough for second place in a tightly-packed Pacific Division as of Tuesday afternoon. Los Angeles has picked up points in 9 of its last 10 games.

The Kings will look to keep this run of excellent play going on Tuesday night when they host Washington. They’ll then close out their schedule for the week with consecutive home games against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday and Saturday.