Kings sign Kirill Kirsanov to two-year, entry-level contract

The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Kirill Kirsanov to a two-year, entry-level contract, the team announced via press release on Sunday.

The Kings selected Kirsanov with the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the 2021 NHL entry draft.

Kirsanov, a 22-year-old left-handed defender from Russia, appeared in 34 regular season games and two postseason contests as a member of Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

He notched three goals and four assists for seven points in the regular season while earning a plus-5 rating, and he did not record a point in the KHL postseason.

Kirsanov reported to Torpedo-Gorky of the VHL for the playoffs, where he racked up four points in 19 games while posting a plus-4 rating as the club earned the Petrov Cup as the league’s champion.

In 2021, Kirsanov earned a spot on the Russian roster at the U-20 World Junior Championships, where he posted a goal and an assist in seven games as Russia fell in the bronze medal game against Finland.

The Kings have seven defensemen with notable NHL experience under contract for the 2025-2026 season, including Drew Doughty, Brandt Clarke, Mikey Anderson, Joel Edmundson, Jordan Spence, Kyle Burroughs and Jacob Moverare.

The members of the Ontario Reign’s defense corps and other non-roster blueliners that are slated to return include Otto Salin, Jared Woolley, Jakub Dvorak, Angus Booth and Joe Hicketts.

Los Angeles is coming off of a season in which the team posted a 48-25-9 record, earning second place in the Pacific Division in the regular season.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Kings’ season came to an end via a defeat in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

The organization moved on from former general manager Rob Blake after the season and hired veteran executive Ken Holland on May 12.