With every franchise, players who’ve come and gone have impacted their respective team(s) in one way or another. As the “teen” decade comes to an end, we’ll take a look at former Los Angeles Kings players from the last nine seasons who have done just that and where they are now.
The series continues with the 2011-12 season, which concluded with the players mentioned below, and the Kings winning their first Holy Grail.
Vyacheslav Voynov – Avangard Omsk
A player who could’ve been very deadly in the NHL is Vyacheslav “Slava” Voynov. The Chelyaninsk, Russia native was drafted 32nd overall by the Kings in 2008. He spent three seasons with the Manchester Monarchs, Los Angeles’ former American Hockey League team, before making his debut in 2011.
Voynov recorded 20 points in 54 games en route to the Kings’ first Stanley Cup. The defender also helped the team win their second championship in three seasons after the 2013-14 campaign. He registered career highs in assists (30) and total points (34) while adding four goals.
In June 2013, Voynov signed a six-year contract extension – but the team abruptly cut ties with the two-time Stanley Cup champion.
In October 2014, Voynov was suspended indefinitely by the NHL after being arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence against his wife, Marta Varlamova. He pleaded no contest in July 2015 and was sentenced to 90 days in jail while receiving three years of probation.
The first-round pick chose to return to Russia to avoid deportation affairs. As a result, the Kings officially terminated his contract in September 2015.
Related: Should the NHL Reinstate Voynov?
Voynov signed a contract with SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League soon after and spent three seasons with the team. He contributed 37 points in 2016-17, which resulted in SKA Saint Petersburg claiming the Gagarin Cup. Two seasons later, the newly free agent sat out the entire 2018-19 campaign.
In April, the NHL announced that Voynov was suspended for the entire 2019-20 season, including playoffs. His eligibility to return to the league could be restored on July 1, 2020. In the meantime, Voynov signed a one-year deal with Avangard Omsk and currently has 24 points in 35 games.
Andrei Loktionov – Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Another player with a short NHL career was Andrei Loktionov. The center was selected 123rd overall in the 2008 NHL Draft by the Kings. He collected 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) and a 2012 Stanley Cup ring in 59 games played across three seasons with Los Angeles.
The Voskresensk, Russia native was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2013 and saw more ice time and slight improvement. In one-plus seasons with the Devils, Loktionov registered 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 76 games. He was later sent to the Carolina Hurricanes to conclude the 2013-14 season, where he recorded 10 points in 20 games.
Loktionov returned to his home country and resumed his hockey career in the KHL with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The center peaked with the team by recording career highs in goals (16) and assists (25) during the 2018-19 season. Overall in five seasons with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Loktionov registered 119 points.
The fifth-round pick left Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in May and joined Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Loktionov currently has eight points in 37 games this season.
Jake Muzzin – Toronto Maple Leafs
A quality long-minute defenseman in Jake Muzzin became a fan-favorite in Los Angeles. The Woodstock, Ontario native was selected 141st overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He spent three-plus seasons with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League before signing an entry-level contract with the Kings in 2010.
He made his debut that season and recorded a lone point in 11 games. Muzzin missed out on Los Angeles’ 2012 Stanley Cup title as he was with the Monarchs for the entire 2011-12 season. The defender got his turn at the Holy Grail in 2014 as he appeared in 76 games and registered 24 points.
After receiving his ring, Muzzin only got better from there. In the following season, he tallied a career-high 10 goals and 41 total points. The 2017-18 campaign turned out to be his best yet as he set new career highs in assists (34) and points (42). The seven-plus season Kings veteran ended with 213 total points with the franchise.
During last season, Muzzin was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Carl Grundstrom, Sean Durzi and a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Many people, including some within the Toronto organization, had mixed emotions about Muzzin’s arrival, but his presence in the lineup proved them wrong.
Related: Jake Muzzin’s Health Is Key to Maple Leafs’ Success
Last season, the defenseman contributed to the Leafs’ defense and recorded 16 points and a plus-11 rating. The team qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs but were eliminated by the eventual runner-up Boston Bruins. Muzzin currently has 13 points in 30 games this season.
Although the players above became Stanley Cup champions with the Kings, they’re seeing a different type of success with new teams in their respected countries.
