Los Angeles Kings sign Tyler Madden, Jack Studnicka, Glenn Gawdin and Reilly Walsh

The Los Angeles Kings kept themselves busy today, signing forwards Tyler Madden and Jack Studnicka to one-year, two-way deals worth $775,000.

The club also signed Glenn Gawdin to a two-year, two-way deal worth $775,000, and defenseman Reilly Walsh to a one-year, two-way pact paying $775,000.

Madden, 24, is no stranger to the Kings organization, having spent his entire pro career with them. Drafted in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Madden played two years with the NCAA’s Northeastern University before turning pro in 2020. Injuries have limited Madden’s career, but he did put up 14 goals and 31 points in 48 games in his first full AHL campaign in 2021-22. With just incremental improvements of 33 and 34 points over the past two years, Madden hasn’t really put himself in the conversation to become a full-time NHLer, and is still looking to make his debut. But in the AHL, he’s more than serviceable with Ontario.

Studicka was a second-round pick by the Boston Bruins in 2017, with his big, energetic playstyle being an intriguing option. He spent parts of four years with the Boston Bruins before he ended up in Vancouver in 2022-23, where he had a career-high eight points in 47 games. Last year saw Studnick bounce around a bit, playing for Vancouver and San Jose in the NHL and Abbotsford and San Jose in the AHL. The Sharks elected to not offer Studnicka a qualifying offer on Sunday, rendering him an unrestricted free agent.

Gawdin, 27, is a smart, two-way center who has made a name for himself as a productive AHLer. He has one assist in 13 NHL games with Calgary and Anaheim, but is coming off a career-high 22 goals and 55 points in 70 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls last year. Gawdin was drafted 116th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2015 but never played for the team before joining the Flames as a free agent in 2017.

Walsh, 25, has four years of AHL experience with Binghamton, Utica and Providence. He had a career-best 43 points in 70 games in 2021-22, the same year he made his NHL debut with New Jersey. Since then, he has seen his offensive numbers dwindle, but he’ll look to bounce back with Ontario next year.