The new league year in the NHL is just under a week away. We can expect an avalanche of news, including players officially inking extensions and teams vying for free agents. According to one recent rumor, both the Kings and Capitals may be heading back into the trade market.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, both the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals would like to add another top-six winger to their lineups.
This comes on the heels of a surprising trade the two teams executed last week. In that deal, the Capitals sent goalie Darcy Kuemper to the Kings in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois. The trade did not include any salary retention, despite the fact that both players have hefty salaries.
The trade was viewed with some skepticism around the league. Los Angeles traded for Pierre-Luc Dubois last summer and hoped they were getting an important centerpiece who they could build around. Instead, Dubois struggled mightily in 2023-24. So much so that he was almost traded midseason.
Kuemper did not have a stellar 2023 season either. He finished the regular season with -7.2 goals above replacement and -1.2 wins above replacement. He also logged a miserable -1.73 goals saved above expected.
Ultimately, both teams knew that they needed to move on from their high-priced players who had disappointing seasons. It worked out for both teams because they got to move on.
Kings general manager Rob Blake took some responsibility for Dubois' failure to live up to expectations.
“Well, I don’t think I did a good enough job of integrating him in the right roles on the team here this year,” Blake told reporters, via NHL.com, last week. “You know, I think it wasn’t a great fit in that aspect for us, and we’ll take responsibility for that.”
Who could Capitals, Kings target at winger?
Now the question becomes: who will each team target? Will they attempt a trade, sign a free agent, or wait for the 2024 NHL Draft?
They could always go back to the trade market. Someone like Pittsburgh's Reilly Smith could make some sense. The 33-year-old may not be in Pittsburgh's future plans after his production declined this year. The Athletic's Rob Rossi reported that the Penguins looked into trading Smith before the trade deadline, but could not make a deal because Smith was not on an expiring contract. He could become a possible economy option if the Capitals and Kings cannot find their forwards elsewhere.
There are plenty of solid options in free agency. Sam Reinhart and Jake Guentzel are the biggest prizes, but competition should be fierce for these two top players. Steven Stamkos (34) and Jonathan Marchessault (33) are both crafty veterans who still have some tread on their tires. Each could be a solid one-year patch at winger. Teuvo Teravainen is the best middle-of-the-road option who brings the flexibility to play on either side of center.
Finally, there's the 2024 NHL Draft. The Los Angeles Kings hold the 21st overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, while the Washington Capitols pick at 17th overall.
Washington seriously needs some young prospects at defenseman, so it would be surprising if they didn't address the position in the first round. Los Angeles is likely to go best player available, likely picking a center or winger depending who on who is available.
We can't wait to see how this all shakes out later this summer.
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