Kings sign Andre Lee to one-year, two-way contract extension

A depth player is staying with the team that drafted him for another year.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced they have signed forward Andre Lee to a one-year, two-way contract.

Lee’s contract has an AAV of $775,000, with a minor-league salary of $100,000. He will become a restricted free agent next year, with a qualifying offer of $813,750.

Lee has been playing professionally over the last two-plus seasons, all with the Kings organization. He has played solely with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He was called up to L.A. once, on April 27, 2023, but never appeared in a game.

Lee is coming off his best season in the AHL, scoring eight goals and 13 points in 36 games. He scored four goals in eight Calder Cup Playoff games, helping the Reign advance to the Pacific Division Final before losing to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

In 105 AHL appearances, the Karlstad, Sweden native has scored 14 goals and 10 assists, playing in 10 playoff games.

Lee was taken by the Kings in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Draft. He played three seasons at UMass-Lowell, scoring 31 goals and 64 points in 87 games. He was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team after his final season in 2021-22. Lee spent one season in junior hockey in North America, playing the 2018-19 campaign with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League, winning the Clark Cup.

Prior to hopping across the Atlantic, Lee built up his stock in the Färjestad BK system.

As a result, the Kings have 24 standard player contracts signed for next season. According to CapFriendly, Los Angeles has $19.9 million in projected cap space.