By now, millions of words have been written and spoken about Friday’s NHL Trade Deadline. As there always is this time of year, plenty of people — from fans to media — have weighed in on what the Kings should do, might do, can do or even might not do at all.
Below is a quick explanation of their three basic options. Before we jump into it all, it’s worth noting that we’ve waited this late into the game so we’re not piling on with more speculation that raises the anxiety levels of players and coaches, something coach Jim Hiller spoke about during his postgame scrum on Wednesday night. LA’s bench boss reminded folks that it’s not only hard for players to see their names in potential deals, but it can also be equally difficult when they see their friends on other teams mentioned in potential trades. With that in mind, all of the Kings players and prospects mentioned below are done so as hypothetical examples. And we’ve tried to be as respectful as possible.
We’ve also tried to be as brief as possible with all the information below. Thus, it’s absent of some detailed context we’d normally provide.
TOP TIER OPTIONS
Elite players like Mikko Rantanen very rarely become available at the Trade Deadline. When players of that stature are moved, it’s usually in the summer. In a nutshell, if Carolina does actually move him in the next 24 hours, they have two options.
One, trade him as a rental; meaning he doesn’t have a contract extension in place. In that scenario, the Hurricanes would typically get back “futures” (i.e. picks and prospects). This doesn’t really help Carolina very much because they believe they’re a real contender in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, if they’re taking a major piece off their roster, they need to fill that gap now, not down the road.
Even if they did decide to go that route, in essence weakening their 2024-25 roster, it better be for a big haul. So, looking at it from another team’s perspective – if you’re going to rent Rantanen, said team would likely believe they were one player away from being a legit Cup contender. So, mortgaging the future for one big run this year might be worth it. The Kings don’t appear to be in that situation, therefore trading for Rantanen without an extension doesn’t seem like a viable option.
If LA was insistent on trading for him with an extension in place, the player has to be willing to sign a deal. We’d say a few things here. One, negotiating a $100+ million contract is very time consuming and usually isn’t just something that can be whipped up in a week or so. And, if a player has waited this long to get to Unrestricted Free Agency, most of the time, they’ll just want to get to July 1, making the odds of such a move a longshot.
However, for the sake of fans interested in entertaining a trade for Rantanen, let’s briefly dive in on what that would likely look like.
Many of the Kings NHL roster players have some form of no-trade protection. They also are needed if the team wants to go on a playoff run this year. Adding somebody of Rantanen’s caliber would be designed to enhance the current roster. Who or what are the Kings most valuable assets then?
Topping the list would be Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, Liam Greentree, and their three goalie prospects (Erik Portillo, Carter George, and Hampton Slukynsky). They also have a pair of first round picks to work with (both 2025 and 2026. Next year’s Draft class is believed to be deeper, making — theoretically — the 2026 pick worth more than the 2025 pick.
To make a trade for Rantanen (again, with an extension), LA would most definitely have to include one of the goalies — something Carolina desperately needs. More specifically, the netminder would almost surely be Portillo because he’s NHL ready. If Carolina opted to take either of the other two, they’d be looking at three years minimum before George or Slukynsky could impact their NHL team. That’s a long time to wait given their current circumstances.
If the Kings want to take Byfield and Clarke out of the equation, that means Greentree would have to be included in the deal. Now, add one of the first rounders into the package and things are starting to come together. There could be additional pieces involved, like Trevor Moore, to make the money work, but that’s the general idea.
If you’re paying that much, you better believe that’s the player that’s going to put you over the top for the next five years or more because you just wiped out your top offensive prospect that’s not in the NHL by taking Greentree out of the pipeline — and, quite honestly, it’s a distant second to their No. 2 forward currently behind Greentree on the depth chart. Hence, that’s a really a big swing you’re taking.
Any way you slice it, Rantanen seems like a less than 10% chance of happening. Kudos if they pull it off. Putting everything else aside, he’d absolutely help the team. It just seems like counting on winning the lottery to solve your financial problems. It’s a daydreamer’s solution, just not very likely.
One final note on playing in the deep end of the elite pool: there are two other potential options. Mitch Marner (right shot winger) is a UFA this summer and Matthew Barzal (right shot center) may become available via trade after the season. These are still longshots, and they’re summer deals, but they could give the Kings alternate paths to a big fish further down the road.
SIGNIFICANT OPTIONS
It’s no secret the Kings need another forward who can score, and one who is preferably a right shot. For starters, beggars can’t be choosers. They need the help and are open to all options. GM Rob Blake has been working feverishly over the past few weeks to land somebody of consequence without taking too much, if anything, away from his NHL roster (and therein lies the delicate balancing act this time of year, and why more GMs prefer to deal picks than actual players when they’re buyers at the Trade Deadline).
We’d consider Rickard Rakell to be right at the top of this tier. He’s 31 years old and is on pace to challenge his career high of 34 goals. The native of Sweden has consistently shown an ability to put the puck in the net when healthy, while playing in both Pittsburgh and Anaheim. A veteran of 780 NHL games, he’s hungry for a long playoff run. Better yet, he’s signed for three more seasons at a very manageable $5M AAV.
Buffalo’s Alex Tuch is the other key player in conversations at this tier. Slightly younger (28) and three inches taller (standing 6-foot-4), Tuch is right there in terms of goal production compared to Rakell. The New York native also plays a bit of a heavier game and is playoff tested, having gone on three long runs with Vegas in recent years. Tuch is only signed for one more year, carrying a very modest $4.75M AAV.
Either play is likely going to cost a first-round pick, and NHL player (i.e. Jordan Spence and/or Trevor Moore), plus another pick/prospect.
If Blake can land one of these players, that has to be considered a home run for the Kings heading into postseason action this year.
DEPTH OPTIONS
As much as fans of NHL teams typically love the big splash on Trade Deadline Day, it takes two to tango. So as much as Blake may want some of the above-named players, GMs often have to pivot to what’s available more than what they want. And that’s not always a bad thing. For example, doing less this week could lead to Hiller giving more minutes to younger players over the balance of regular season — and younger players are known to give teams an extra jump because of their youthful legs and consistently positive energy.
However, adding something — sometimes anything — can also be seen as a positive sign, as a GM is looking to provide some extra depth to his coaches and send the right message to his players. Some of the names that come up from this tier are players like Joel Armia, Kyle Palmieri, and Ryan Donato. Being in this tier typically means the cost is less to acquire them; that’s a plus. If the Kings end up shopping here, it’s not a bad thing. They may just need to go for two players instead of just one.
A move to find another backup goalie is also lurking in the background. It’s certainly possible, yet we wouldn’t label that as the first, second, or even third priority. It’s all about offense right now.
In the end, we don’t believe Blake is operating from a position of trying to save his job. He’s looking to make the moves necessary to improve his team, with designs of making it out of the first round come late April. He also is believed to have the full support of ownership to do what he feels is best for the club. Can he find a dance partner (or two) to get a deal done before noon tomorrow? Time is ticking. We’ll know soon enough.
MORE LA KINGS NEWS:
Follow @mayorNHL
Continue reading...
