Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
Derek Armstrong gets a two-year extension
According to LAKings.com, veteran center Derek Armstrong received a two-year extension with the big club. Terms were not announced, but it's been suggested that it's probably around $1.9 million for the first year and $2.1 million for the second year.
Armstrong has been a solid contributor this season, and is currently the club's number one center with Alexander Frolov on his wing, with Anze Kopitar centering Michael Cammalleri and Dustin Brown.
I think this signing is good for the Kings, because Army is a servicable center capable of getting the puck to his linemates. This season, he has a career-high 30 assists, along with nine goals. He also leads the club with a plus/minus +16.
Will this scuttle the plans of bringing in some top-line talent for next year? Even though he's starting right now, he'd work well on any line and on the power play. Last season, he was tied for third on the club with seven power play goals. He's a hard worker, and he got what he deserved.
