Alexander Frolov to be unrestricted free agent

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Winger Alexander Frolov, who sometimes dazzled Kings fans with his skills but often frustrated them with his inconsistency, was not offered a new contract by the Kings and will be an unrestricted free agent Thursday, his agent, Don Meehan, said Wednesday afternoon.

It’s no shock -- Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi hinted as much last week -- but it does end an era of sorts and makes you wonder how good the 28-year-old Russian might have been if his work ethic had been better.

He earned $4 million last season and reportedly has had an offer from Russia’s KHL, where the money is tax-free. The Kings can’t match that and didn’t want to try, not with Ilya Kovalchuk in their sights and a strong desire to re-sign Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds, who can all become restricted free agents after next season.

After a 32-goal season in 2008-09, Frolov had only 19 goals and 51 points last season in 81 games, missing one game when he scratched from the lineup early in the season by Coach Terry Murray for apparent lack of effort. Still, he climbed the charts on several Kings’ franchise lists:

He ranks 11th with 381 points, 10th in goals with 168, tied for 10th in shorthanded goals with seven and seventh with 25 game-winning goals. His 168 goals ranks him third among Kings left wings, though he sometimes played the right side, too. He played in his 500th NHL (and Kings) game on Jan. 11.

Frolov wasn’t a bad guy, just hard to get to know and, to many Kings fans, a riddle they won’t solve.

--Helene Elliott