The Trade Deadline Thread

Don’t know what game you were watching today, but he was manhandled in the corners, got lost on his assignments, and although he had 2 points, was even for the game.

Sure, getting a lucky bounce and a breakaway coming out of the box in OT for the winner is nice, and he may have redeemed his prior misgivings with the goal, he needs to start cleaning up his play in his own end or he’s likely going to enjoy watching the playoffs from the press box or not at all while’s he’s playing in the AHL playoffs with Ontario.
This was my concern when he was drafted. Points getter and all that but I kept asking....but can he play defense??

I think he'll be fine, but it's going to take a while for him to realize this isn't OHL hockey and the gap between the best and worst player is much narrower.
 
Now that Byfield is no longer a bust, Clarke and his less than 30 NHL games as a defenseman at age 21 has arrived just as in time. Trade him now.
 
The Rover is a pretty useful tool in modern hockey. Especially when the other 5 defensemen you ice struggle to generate offense.
 
Don’t know what game you were watching today, but he was manhandled in the corners, got lost on his assignments, and although he had 2 points, was even for the game.

Sure, getting a lucky bounce and a breakaway coming out of the box in OT for the winner is nice, and he may have redeemed his prior misgivings with the goal, he needs to start cleaning up his play in his own end or he’s likely going to enjoy watching the playoffs from the press box or not at all while’s he’s playing in the AHL playoffs with Ontario.
Yep you are right, but he has improved quite a bit over the last two games. We know in both the D zone and physically he struggles but his command over the PP and generating offense is superior to any other D we have. His positioning and wiliness to fight for the puck also improved over that stretch and he has not been a complete liability in his own zone (which is not to say that he is dominating by any means).

What I like is that he is obviously taking feedback from his coaches well and working hard to improve.
 
The Rover is a pretty useful tool in modern hockey. Especially when the other 5 defensemen you ice struggle to generate offense.
True, you see high end teams like avalanche and Vancouver with rover type defenders, but I think it also requires a specific strategy when those guys are on the ice. You definitely need to pair them with a defense first partner, and also make sure the forwards are extra aware that they have a defender who WILL jump into the play in most all situations. So if you’ve got a guy like Fiala on the ice playing wing, do you really want to count on him covering the point? It definitely works in the aforementioned instances, with guys like Makar and Quinn Hughes, but those guys are actually generational type talents who are more skilled than the majority of forwards on their team, and VERY good skaters. Which Clarke is certainly not.
 
Blake brought in guys like Fiala and Dubois, who are good players, but they’re not the type of players that are central components of a winning team like Richards, Brown, Williams, etc..

now they’re good players and they will help you win some games but just more of the middle of the pack make the playoffs but can’t get far with them.

now you can’t really do anything your assets are low. These guys are not doing what you need them to do and you’re kind of just stuck here in the middle. I think the Fiala trade alone would be OK, but doubling down on it with the bra. It’s pretty much excepting the current status quo of just making the playoffs and perhaps getting lucky, but not good enough to go deep.
Sober!!!!


What's up bro!
 
So who are we giving up for Carter 50% retained, who is the other team that’s going to be involved to make the cap hit 25%, and when is it going to happen?
Kaliyev?

On that note, I recall Jeff being fairly good in the dot for us, but was he ever this good? I would never have even conceived of trading for a face off specialist beforehand, simply because Todd wouldn’t have been clever enough to implement a player like that, but Hiller seems to have the ability to adjust on the fly.
 
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Kaliyev?

On that note, I recall Jeff being fairly good in the dot for us, but was he ever this good? I would never have even conceived of trading for a face off specialist beforehand, simply because Todd wouldn’t have been clever enough to implement a player like that, but Hiller seems to have the ability to adjust on the fly.
And he’s a right shot.

Think Columbus wants a 5th round pick?
 
I have mentioned him a few times. There is both good and bad with him. With teams like the Avs and Oilers if he is in the lineup the Kings do not pass go.


Screenshot 2024-02-18 at 18-30-56 (2) Joe W. Patarino (@JWPatarino) _ X.png
 
Can we now also please put an end to the talk about trading Kempe! Why on earth would we even consider trading a great player on a great contract?

He would IMO opinion be the least likely to be traded after Byfield, who is pretty much untouchable!
I don’t think Kempe is going anywhere. The issue is the Kings have major holes to fill after this season with very little cap space and just a few players they’re completely free to move. Kempe is one of those players.

Signing Byfield is priority 1. Acquiring an established starting goaltender is probably #2.

Kings have $65M cap hit committed to next season. The cap is going up to $87.7M.

That’s $22M available with Byfield, Spence, Turcotte, JAD, Kaliyev as RFAs. Roy, Arvidsson, Lewis, Rittich, Talbot as UFAs.
 
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