Kings Sign First Rounder Elton Hermansson to Entry Level Deal
The Swedish forward, drafted 19th overall in June, signed a three-year contract and will play in Sweden this season.
The Los Angeles Kings signed forward Elton Hermansson to a three-year entry-level contract on July 15, running through the 2028-29 season. The 18-year-old was the team's first-round pick, selected 19th overall at the 2026 NHL Draft last month.
Hermansson spent most of the 2025-26 season with MoDo Hockey in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden's second-tier league, recording 11 goals and 21 points in 38 games. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound right winger also appeared in 13 games for MoDo's U20 team, posting nine points.
At the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Championships in April, Hermansson led the tournament with 12 points in seven games as Sweden captured gold. He was named Best Forward and selected to the All-Star Team.
The Kings acquired the 19th pick after trading down two spots from No. 17, picking up an additional third-round selection in the process. General Manager Ken Holland called Hermansson "another good young player, a good young forward" who can score, noting the organization's focus on adding offense both short and long term.
Hermansson will not attend Kings training camp in September. He is expected to return to MoDo Hockey for the 2026-27 season in HockeyAllsvenskan. Because he will play in Europe this coming season, the first year of his entry-level contract will slide, meaning it will not count against the three-year term.
The quick turnaround on the signing contrasts with last year, when 2025 first-rounder Henry Brzustewicz took more than eight months to sign his entry-level deal. Hermansson attended the Kings' Development Camp in Los Angeles earlier this month, giving more of the organization a chance to see him up close.
