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The Los Angeles Kings have been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last four seasons, but have fallen short to the Edmonton Oilers. Now, they need to figure it out and find a way to beat Edmonton. But things could always be worse, and some situations could put the team in a tailspin. The Kings' nightmare scenario in 2025 NHL free agency involves signing the wrong free agent or offering bad deals to mediocre players.
With the Kings hiring Ken Holland as their new general manager, the pressure is on to get things correct. Likewise, Jim Hiller is likely on the hot seat, and he must find a way to get this team past the Oilers. Things are going to change, and the expectations in Los Angeles are higher than ever before.
While the Kings could undoubtedly have a dream free agency period where everything goes right, there are many chances for it to go wrong. Notably, there are several steps that LA must take to avoid this scenario. This Kings' free agency period needs to go well, or they must take a step back. Here are the nightmare scenarios.
The Kings fail to sign any top-tier NHL free agents
Mitchell Marner is the top target, but the Kings might not be able to get him, especially with just $23 million of cap space. Ultimately, he would cost $13 million per season with a $10.9 million cap hit. While he would be an excellent asset for Los Angeles, there are other options if they cannot sign him.
The Kings absolutely must sign someone from the top NHL free agents this offseason. Brock Boeser, Sam Bennett, and Nikolaj Ehlers are also good options for the Kings to sign. Remember, they did not do so well on offense throughout the regular season. Los Angeles currently has a stock of talented players, like Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala, and Anze Kopitar. But they need a lot more if they want to score and keep pace with teams like the Oilers.
Overpaying older NHL free agents
The list of NHL free agents is long and exceptional. However, it is best to avoid players who are past their prime. While it may be tempting to go after guys like John Tavares and Patrick Kane, it is also essential not to overpay for them.
Tavares is seeking $7.2 million per season, which would translate to a cap hit of $11 million. Likewise, Kane will likely get $3.5 million with a $4 million cap hit. The Kings would be smart to negotiate deals with both, but not cave into outrageous demands. Remember, Tavares is 34 years old and while he was part of the Core Four, he did not do much to help the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kane can still be valuable on the power play. However, he is no longer the elite, point-per-game player he once was.
The Kings go gritty
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The Kings do need grit to contend with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, they also need to be careful not to go too gritty. That has been a trademark for Holland in the past, and he must navigate the waters carefully.
They can absolutely sign a player who can help check these elite players in the playoffs. However, the Kings still need a scoring touch and cannot sacrifice it for grit. Signing a defenseman might help them keep pucks out of the net, but it won't always help them score.
Holland extends long-term deals to mid-tier players
Holland has been a good general manager throughout his career. However, he has had some duds, and there is always a chance he does it again.
Holland once signed Justin Abdelkader to a seven-year, $29.5 million contract after one good season. Then, Abdelkader scored 26 total goals over the rest of the contract. Holland had two bad signings in 2016, signing Frans Nielsen to a six-year, $31.5 million contract and Danny DeKeyser to a six-year, $30 million contract. Of course, the worst contract he ever gave was to Jack Campbell for five years and $25 million in 2022 to become the Oilers' starting goalie. The Oilers are currently paying a cap hit of $1.5 million for Campbell to not play on their team.
Holland has to be smart, especially with the Kings only having $23 million in cap space. In addition to possibly extending core players, Holland must figure out if the organization has room for big free agents. If they cannot, then the Kings must swing a trade to get the player they want. Regardless, Holland has a tight rope to walk to avoid giving the Kings an absolute nightmare scenario in free agency.
