Kings sign Aatu Jämsen to a 2-year, entry-level deal

The 21-year-old forward, a seventh-round pick in the 2020 draft, racked up 25 points in 36 games this season with the Pelicans in the Finnish Elite League.

The Kings have signed winger Aatu Jämsen to a two-year, entry-level contract worth up to $852,500 per season, the team announced in a news release.

Jämsen was originally a seventh-round draft selection of the Kings (No. 190 overall) in 2020. He remained in his native Finland with the pro club Pelicans, for which he competed at various junior levels and at the senior level for the past three campaigns. Last season, he had 25 points in 36 games, including 14 goals against the country’s top competition.

Like the Kings, he had a decidedly quieter showing in the playoffs, where he scored two points (both goals) in 14 contests. Injuries have also limited Jämsen at times, including a grisly incident two seasons ago when a skate blade damaged his mouth and teeth.

Jämsen has participated in development and rookie camps in recent years for the Kings as part of a broader recommitment to his maturation process. His physique has improved over the past two seasons in particular – when he was drafted, the 6-foot-2 forward only weighed about 150 pounds – and he was never short on skill.

Capable of employing his edges to pivot and change direction on a dime or utilizing his supple hands to make plays in tight, Jämsen excels near the net and can be flashy, like when he scored a back-handed, lacrosse-style goal against Tappara last season.

While seventh-rounders have been longshots to make the NHL for every franchise, the Kings have had some success in what’s now the final round of entry draft. Steady defenseman Matt Roy, fourth-line center par excellence Nic Dowd, two-time Stanley Cup champion Jordan Nolan and former 30-goal scorer Dominik Kubalik were all snagged by the Kings in the seventh round since 2009 and have each logged at least 357 NHL games.