Deadline Primer: Los Angeles Kings
With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Los Angeles Kings.
It’s been a rough season for the Kings who had high hopes before the season started. The team had a very successful season a year ago as they had a 45-29-8 season and even though they were the fourth seed, many teams expected them to dominate in the playoffs. Unfortunately, while they played the Vegas Golden Knights well, the team was swept out of the playoffs as Vegas’ speed overwhelmed the slower-moving Kings. The team tried to re-stock in the offseason when the signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a three-year, $18.75MM deal to add even more offense.
Then everything fell apart when the season commenced as the team struggled out of the gate and by early November, the team fired head coach John Stevens and replaced him with interim coach Willie Desjardins. The team found itself at the bottom of the standings throughout the league and have already began to fix their team as the team has already moved out forward Tanner Pearson to Pittsburgh and more recently when it sent defenseman Jake Muzzin to Toronto for a first-rounder and a pair of prospects. With the deadline just weeks away and the Kings looking to rebuild their aging franchise, the team may be making a number of moves to upgrade their team.
Record
23-27-5, seventh in the Pacific Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$7.608MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2019: LAK 1st, TOR 1st, LAK 2nd, LAK 3rd, LAK 4th, LAK 5th, ARZ 5th, LAK 6th, LAK 7th
2020: LAK 1st, LAK 2nd, LAK 3rd, LAK 4th, LAK 5th, LAK 6th, LAK 7th
Trade Chips
The team has several trade options if they want to totally rebuild the franchise. The Kings already moved Muzzin, but with a group of young defensemen, including Sean Walker, Daniel Brickley and Kale Clague waiting for their chance, Los Angeles could move Alec Martinez for a similar return that they got for Muzzin. Martinez has been a solid top-four defenseman with the Kings for years and will be highly sought after, especially in a market where there are so many buyers.
It might be hard to believe, but the Kings may also be ready to move on from their superstar goaltender Jonathan Quick. However, the 33-year-old has struggled with both injuries and hasn’t had his usually impressive season as he has a 2.99 GAA and a disappointing .902 save percentage in 28 games. While starting goaltenders are rarely moved at the deadline as most playoff teams already have a starting goaltender, this is an unusual year as a team like the Columbus Blue Jackets could conceivably move the unhappy Sergei Bobrovsky and could conceivably be looking to add a replacement goaltender. The Kings have Jack Campbell and rookie Calvin Petersen, who could take over and start the rebuilding process in net if L.A. decides to go that route.
Ilya Kovalchuk has also come up as a potential trade chip for the Kings. The 35-year-old winger has struggled with injuries and production slumps, but the veteran winger has 11 goals this year and could score even more on productive playoff team. Whether a team is willing to take on his $6.25MM salary for another two years after this is a whole different question, considering he’ll be 37 years old in the final year of his contract. When the team acquired Carl Hagelin in the Pearson deal, the main purpose of the trade was to free themselves of Pearson’s two extra years on his contract. Hagelin, however, will be an unrestricted free agent and could easily be flipped at the deadline for a pick or prospect. Unfortunately, Hagelin only has two goals and eight points this season in 33 games, but still could provide a franchise with a quality middle-six rental for a low cost.
Five Players To Watch For: F Carl Hagelin, F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Alec Martinez, G Jonathan Quick, F Nate Thompson
Team Needs
1) Youth: With numerous aging veterans already locked up for the next three to five years with no way to escape from those deals, what Los Angeles needs more than anything are young talent that they can build on. The team already picked up a pair of interesting prospects from Toronto in Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi, but the more young talent and picks they can acquire to expedite the team’s rebuild the better.
2) Forwards: The team needs more offense. While they have a number of interesting defensive prospects, there are only a handful of scorers that the team has ready to step into their lineup with the possible exception of Gabriel Vilardi, who has been injured all season. There are other prospects, but the Kings need to start focusing on bringing in as much offensive talent to fix the team’s lack of speed and offensive woes.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Baertschi, Carrier, Phaneuf, Thornton
The Vancouver Canucks may be fighting for a playoff spot, but they will have to do it for a while without winger Sven Baertschi, as Canucks’ head coach Travis Green reported that Baertschi will miss some time after being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, according to Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Sun.
Baertschi has been feeling ill since last Sunday, the day after the team played Colorado and he didn’t report any symptoms before the game. However, Green said this is not a new concussion as there is no indication that he suffered any hit during the game. Instead it is believed this ties in to a concussion Baertschi suffered in October when he took a hit to the head from Vegas’ Tomas Hyka. There is no specific timetable to how long Baertschi will be out.
“We’re going to give him some time off,” Green said. “(He’s) probably going to be out for a little bit.”
Baertschi did not accompany the team to Philadelphia last week and has now missed three games, all losses. Johnston adds that post-concussion syndrome can linger for months after an initial concussion.
- The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that the Vegas Golden Knights will be swapping players Saturday. The team is expecting to get back fourth-line winger William Carrier for their game today against Columbus. Carrier has been out for more than a month after going down with an undisclosed injury. Carrier has played a career-high 44 games and has eight goals, but has been essential to the team’s bottom line with 219 hits. With Carrier’s return, the team has placed third-line winger Ryan Carpenter on injured reserve, also with an undisclosed injury.
- The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that after being scratched for the first time in his career, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Dion Phaneuf was unhappy with the developments and despite potential rumors of an eventual buyout, he claims he has plenty more left to give in the NHL. “I’m not that old. So I will say that,” said Phaneuf, who will turn 34 on April 10, “I’ve got lots left. Mentor, whatever you want to call it, I’ve got a job to do as well. I feel good. I know I’ve played a long time. I’ve got more left. Right now, it’s about working to get back in the lineup. When you get back in, you want to do your job.”
- Despite talk of still being injured, The Mercury News’ Paul Gackle writes that the 10-day break that Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks got recently has done wonders for their third-line center. Thornton, who has struggled with knee issues on and off this sea is now fully healthy and starting to become what head coach Peter DeBoer envisioned when Thornton took over his third-line center duties, giving the team a sparkplug on a bottom-six line. “A healthy Joe Thornton creates mismatches. He turns depth players into very-good players,” DeBoer said. “That’s a key to success in this league.”
Trevor Lewis Activated Off IR
- The Kings announced that they have activated Trevor Lewis off injured reserve. The 32-year-old has missed the last 37 games due to a fractured foot and has suited up just 17 times so far in 2018-19. Lewis can play all three forward positions and kill penalties which could make him a player of interest for contending teams down the stretch. He has one year left on his contract after this one with a cap hit of $2MM.
Kings May Wait Until The Summer To Make More Big Moves
- Although the Kings are clearly not going to be buyers before the trade deadline, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to be heavy sellers right away either. Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider suggests that it’s likely that Los Angeles will wait until the offseason to make moves of significance involving players signed beyond this season. If that does wind up happening, winger Carl Hagelin and center Nate Thompson may be the most notable names to move over the next couple of weeks.
Ilya Kovalchuk “Definitely Available” As Deadline Nears
The Los Angeles Kings have made a few trades this season, most notably shipping Jake Muzzin to Toronto for a solid package of future assets. That’s likely the theme of any additional deal they do between now and the February 25th trade deadline, despite climbing back into the playoff race over the last little while. The Western Conference wild card spots are still basically available for any team to take, including the Kings who have won three straight and are now just five points behind the St. Louis Blues. Los Angeles knows though that they need to change the makeup of their team and GM Rob Blake indicated recently that they are looking for picks and prospects, though won’t rush to sell off everything that isn’t tied down.
It’s interesting then, that Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that veteran forward Ilya Kovalchuk is “definitely available” if a team were to come forward with an offer. The Kings only just signed Kovalchuk in the summer of 2018 to a three-year, $18.75MM contract but have obviously realized that his last few seasons of production might be wasted on a rebuilding roster. Kovalchuk though, picked Los Angeles for a reason and holds a full no-movement clause through the end of next season. If he doesn’t want to go anywhere he doesn’t have to, though LeBrun notes that the winger would “waive it if the right fit presented itself.”
After some strong play recently, Kovalchuk is up to 26 points in 44 games this season but is still a shadow of the dominant presence he once was. If any team does show interest, the Kings would likely have to retain some salary in order to get any kind of substantial return. With that though is the risk that Kovalchuk could disappear again, meaning his 35+ contract would be an empty cap hit sitting on both team’s books. Kovalchuk will have earned $13.8MM of the $18.75MM after July 1st of this year, when he receives his next signing bonus.
LeBrun notes that Boston, Vegas and San Jose also showed interest in the Russian winger in the summer, but all three may be looking elsewhere now to help their teams. Remember that Kovalchuk also passed on any interest from those three to sign in Los Angeles, meaning they might not be an appealing fit to him. Over the next two weeks we’ll find out exactly how much the Kings want to sell off their current roster, but it does appear as though the veteran forward is available for the right price.
Minor Transactions: 02/08/19
After an extremely busy night in the NHL the league is almost completely quiet this evening, with just one game between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers scheduled. Teams will surely use this day off to make slight tweaks to their roster, and we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- Casey Nelson has been sent to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan. The Buffalo Sabres defenseman has missed more than two months with an upper-body injury, but is apparently healthy enough to get back on the ice. Nelson, 26, had six points in 22 games before suffering the injury.
- With Jayce Hawryluk heading to injured reserve, the Florida Panthers have recalled Bogdan Kiselevich from the minor leagues. Kiselevich hasn’t played nearly as much as expected when he signed out of the KHL, but could get another opportunity to show what he can do in order to entice a contender at the deadline.
- Christian Djoos has been recalled from his conditioning loan by the Washington Capitals, but has not yet been activated from long-term injured reserve. Djoos could be ready to get back into the lineup this weekend, but does not have to come off LTIR until deemed completely healthy. Jonas Siegenthaler has been sent down to the minor leagues, signalling even further that Djoos will be activated at some point.
- Cody Goloubef has been sent back down by the Ottawa Senators after playing in his first game of the season last night. The 29-year old defenseman was acquired by the Senators last month but is still expected to spend the majority of the year in the minor leagues.
- Matt Luff has been sent down to the minors by the Los Angeles Kings, as the team prepares to activate Trevor Lewis from injured reserve. Luff has played in 30 games this season and has ten points, but will have to wait for his next chance in the NHL.
- Malcolm Subban is healthy enough to resume playing for the Vegas Golden Knights, meaning Maxime Lagace has been sent back to the AHL. Lagace has been up with the team since the beginning of January, but only actually played in one game during that period.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Ryan Graves from the AHL, a welcome sight for many fans of the team. Graves made quite an impression during an earlier call-up and has two goals in nine games this season.
- Egor Yakovlev has been sent back down to the minor leagues by the New Jersey Devils, who recently activated Ben Lovejoy off injured reserve. Yakovlev has played in 14 games this season for the Devils, providing five points.
Snapshots: Zadina, Byfuglien, Kings
Filip Zadina has had a difficult year. The sixth-overall pick from 2018 has just 11 goals and 23 points with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and was held to just a single assist at the World Juniors, a tournament he dominated last year. Still, that won’t stop the Detroit Red Wings from giving him a taste of the NHL before the end of the season. GM Ken Holland told Ansar Khan of MLive that Zadina will play a few games with the Red Wings before the end of the year, but won’t go over the nine-game threshold that would make his entry-level contract kick in for this season.
Zadina is an extremely skilled player with a deadly accurate shot, and is still just a teenager playing in a professional league with opponents sometimes more than a decade older than him. Struggles maybe were to be expected, but for the Red Wings success he needs to take another step forward next season. Getting him a taste of what it takes to play in the NHL before the summer will give him even more focus this offseason to come to camp ready to compete in September.
- Dustin Byfuglien has been activated from injured reserve by the Winnipeg Jets after a 15-game absence, and should immediately help them on their push to finish at the top of the Western Conference. The Jets are still in the market to make a move at the trade deadline, but getting Byfuglien back at this point should feel like a big addition for the last part of the season. The big, mobile defenseman usually logs some of the highest ice time totals in the league and is a physical force that demands respect all over the rink.
- Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake had some snark for the analysts at TSN when speaking with Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times, and explained that there’s not definite time frame on when he’s looking to make moves to improve the club. If there are opportunities like the one he took by trading away Jake Muzzin the Kings will jump all over it, but they’re not rushing to sell off the whole team right away. For what it’s worth, our readership at PHR believes that Tyler Toffoli will be the next player sent packing by the Kings.
Morning Notes: Phaneuf, Kampf, Rasmussen
The Los Angeles Kings have already traded one veteran defenseman, and now they’re going to sit down another. Dion Phaneuf is expected to be a healthy scratch for the Kings tonight when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers, a move that isn’t totally surprising given the role he’s played this season. Phaneuf has seen more than 17 minutes of ice time just four times this season, and not since early November.
After this season the 33-year old has two years remaining on the massive seven-year, $49MM contract he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013 and could be headed towards a buyout in the summer. While the result of a buyout wouldn’t be outstanding for the Kings, having Phaneuf on the roster isn’t helping them much at this point and they have younger players who would benefit from that opportunity. The Ottawa Senators, who retained a portion of Phaneuf’s contract when they traded him to the Kings, would still be responsible for 25% of the salary and cap hit from a buyout.
- David Kampf will be out of the Chicago Blackhawks lineup for up to a month with a foot injury, the team announced today. Kampf is a restricted free agent at the end of the year and has done enough to show he deserves another contract with the team, but a month off will certainly hurt his negotiating leverage. The 24-year old forward has 16 points in 50 games but is a solid enough depth option down the middle.
- After a brief conditioning stint in the minor leagues, Michael Rasmussen is expected to be back in the lineup tonight for the Detroit Red Wings. The big center scored twice in three games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, and will look to continue his offensive development in the second half of the season in Detroit. A huge part of their future, the 6’6″ forward had just 13 points in his first 41 games. Playing in the NHL at 19 is an accomplishment in itself, but the team will need more scoring from him going forward.
Bruins Have Shown Interest In Tyler Toffoli
Boston’s desire to add scoring depth on the wing is well-known and it appears they’re open to adding a player signed beyond this season instead of necessarily looking at a rental. In an appearance on WGR 550 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that Kings winger Tyler Toffoli is someone that the Bruins are believed to have interest in. The 26-year-old has struggled considerably this season, scoring just eight times in 50 games despite logging a career-high 17:26 per night. That’s not great value for a player with a $4.6MM cap hit through next season but Toffoli is also someone that certainly could benefit from a change of scenery which makes him an intriguing trade target to watch for.
Poll: Who Will The Los Angeles Kings Trade Next?
The Los Angeles Kings have realized they’re not going to compete for the Stanley Cup this season or any time soon with their current core, and have begun to move some pieces out in exchange for future assets. The first big move of that ilk was trading Jake Muzzin yesterday to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a package that included a first-round pick and two prospects. While some may argue that the Kings could have gotten more closer to the deadline, or that Muzzin should have been retained, the team has obviously made a decision to move forward with at least a partial rebuild.
So who else is on the move out of Los Angeles? Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar are still likely untouchable, be it because of their value to the franchise or their huge contracts or a combination of the two. But other core pieces like Jonathan Quick, Jeff Carter, Alec Martinez and Tyler Toffoli have all seen their names thrown around in trade speculation throughout the season. There have even been reports of the price it would take to get Martinez out of Los Angeles, and detailed examinations of how Carter could use retirement as a sort of no-trade clause.
There are other names like Carl Hagelin, Derek Forbort, Nate Thompson, Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis who will all see unrestricted free agency either this summer or next, making them potential short-term rentals for teams looking to upgrade. Each of those names has their share of red flags though that might end up limiting the return. Others like Dustin Brown, Dion Phaneuf and Ilya Kovalchuk have huge obstacles blocking the way of a trade, though there are always ways around those obstacles.
Who do you think will be moved out next? What will the return be? How long will Los Angeles wait before making another move? Cast your vote below and explain your reasoning in the comments.
Who will Los Angeles trade next?
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Tyler Toffoli 29% (420)
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Jeff Carter 21% (300)
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Alec Martinez 18% (263)
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Jonathan Quick 14% (200)
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Dion Phaneuf 6% (87)
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Dustin Brown 4% (54)
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Kyle Clifford 3% (48)
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Other 3% (48)
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Derek Forbort 1% (20)
Total votes: 1,440
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