The Kings have traded winger Carl Grundstrom to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Kyle Burroughs, the organization said in a news release on Thursday.
This move dealt one of the most physical forwards on the roster for a heavy presence on the blue line, albeit one that may or may not be destined for the parent club.
Grundstrom, nicknamed the Tonka Trunk and fondly viewed by former Kings banger Dustin Brown, arrived in Southern California from the Toronto Maple Leafs system during the 2018-19 campaign. The 26-year-old made his NHL debut with the Kings that same season and ultimately played 236 matches in black and silver, totaling 67 points. His physicality was his hook, and, even in a season where he missed 32 games, Grundstrom finished fourth on the Kings with 115 hits last year before becoming an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.
His departure comes amid some severe shuffling in the Kings’ bottom six. Pierre-Luc Dubois was traded to Washington last week, Trevor Lewis is an unrestricted free agent unlikely to secure a full-time roster spot after playing 82 games last season, Blake Lizotte is a restricted free agent and Arthur Kaliyev has one foot out the door based on comments from General Manager Rob Blake. The Kings have also re-signed players who were heretofore predominantly minor-leaguers –– most notably Akil Thomas, Alex Turcotte and Samuel Fagemo –– with an eye toward expanding their roles.
Burroughs, 28, is under contract for two more seasons with an annual average value of $1.1 million. Like Andreas Englund, he’s a competitor who plays bigger than his stature and who was a relatively slow-developing defenseman. He played a career-high 73 games last season, posting a putrid minus-42 rating on the NHL’s worst team by record. His 233 hits led the Sharks and tied for 16th league-wide, and his selflessness was palpable.
He’s a right-handed shot, leaving him to compete with Drew Doughty, Brandt Clarke and likely either Matt Roy or Jordan Spence (both are currently without a contract). That likely means this is a depth signing, though it’s early to project whether Burroughs would start the year with the Kings or in the minors.
Burroughs was drafted by the New York Islanders but made his NHL debut for the Colorado Avalanche, for whom he played five games. He split 90 appearances across two seasons with Vancouver before finally sticking as a regular with San Jose last season.
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