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The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It marked the third straight year Los Angeles lost at the hands of their Pacific Division rival in the postseason. What may have made this recent loss worse is how Edmonton fared in the playoffs. Connor McDavid put together a historic run as the Oilers came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup.
The Kings are trying to go on a run similar to Edmonton's from last year. It's certainly not an easy feat to pull off. Los Angeles knows this first hand. They dominated the early-to-mid-2010s, winning two Stanley Cups in three seasons. The Kings made three straight Western Conference Finals appearances from 2012 to 2014.
Since then, though, Los Angeles has yet to go on a deep playoff run. In fact, they haven't made it out of the first round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. Something certainly has to give, and it seemed as if this was the year things would be different. However, recent results have thrown some doubt into the equation.
The Kings are currently on a three-game winning streak. Prior to this, though, they lost eight of 11 contests. Los Angeles has pulled themselves back into a Pacific Division playoff spot. But they certainly are not secure in this placement.
Los Angeles needs to make a move at the 2025 NHL trade deadline if they want to contend for the Stanley Cup. There are a variety of moves they can make, without a doubt. In saying this, there is one position of need the Kings need to address ahead of Mar. 7.
The Kings are in need of a scoring winger
The Kings have a fine offensive attack in their top six. Los Angeles has received big-time performances from the likes of Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala this season. Moreover, Alex Laferriere has emerged as a quality goal scorer. Finally, Anze Kopitar has turned back the clock, even if he has cooled off in recent weeks.
Los Angeles has impressive depth down the middle of the ice. Kopitar is still a top-line center despite being in the twilight of his historic career. Philipp Danualt has long been one of the best defensive forwards in the game. And Quinton Byfield is a quality two-way center, even if the offense hasn't come around as the team hoped this season.
One area the Kings certainly need to address, however, is their wing depth. Fiala has had a good season in terms of goal-scoring. He is on pace for his first 30+ goal season in his Los Angeles tenure. However, the playmaking has certainly dropped off. He is on pace to fall well short of the 70+ points he put up in each of the last two seasons.
Fiala isn't the only one who seems to have lost a step on the ice. Trevor Moore broke out in 2023-24 with a 31-goal campaign. In fact, he entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the team's leading scorer. But he has just eight goals and 22 points in 42 games this season.
As a result, the Kings lack a winger who presents as a true goal-scoring threat. Thankfully, there are some options on the trade market this year. One logical fit for the Kings is Vancouver Canucks star Brock Boeser, who is a pending free agent. While Boeser has struggled in his own right, he could bounce back outside of Vancouver.
Another potential option, albeit unlikely, is Winnipeg Jets star Nikolaj Ehlers. Ehlers, like Boeser, is a free agent at the end of this season. With the Jets sitting atop the NHL, it's hard to imagine them trading him. However, if a move makes sense for Winnipeg, perhaps we see another stunning trade this year.
Whoever Los Angeles pursues certainly remains to be seen. What matters is that they find a way to add a scoring winger at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. It could do wonders for their Stanley Cup push in the playoffs beginning in April.