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The Los Angeles Kings have made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. They have lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers in each of those seasons. As the NHL trade deadline approaches, their current playoff opponent would be the Oilers. That informs the Kings trade deadline dream and nightmare scenarios. Could Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke be on the move? And is that a dream or a disaster?
The Kings have all of their own draft picks except for their 2025 second-rounder, which they used to trade for Tanner Jeannot. Byfield and Clarke are their top two prospects who have blossomed into NHL-caliber players. But they can use Clarke or Byfield to get a top-tier scorer that they need. Byfield has scored 20 goals once, which is disappointing for the second-overall pick. Using him to get an elite scorer could be their answer.
The Kings should be active at this NHL trade deadline to move in one direction or the other. But if they are chasing the Stanley Cup, this is the dream scenario they should follow.
Dream scenario: The Kings acquire and sign Mikko Rantanen
Mikko Rantanen should go to a team that needs scoring to win in the playoffs. That is the Carolina Hurricanes in spades. Rod Brind'amour has not missed the playoffs or won a game in the Eastern Conference Final as the head coach. Just because they have not extended him yet does not mean they should trade him before the NHL trade deadline. If they do, the Kings should be heavily involved.
The Hurricanes acquired Rantanen from the Avalanche for Martin Necas and Jack Drury. If they are going to trade him again, they should get NHL-ready players back. Byfield fits that perfectly but does not have the goal-scoring touch Carolina needs. The Kings should still offer Byfield and their first-round pick for Rantanen, assuming he signs an extension before July 1.
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If the Kings could hold onto Clarke while making this deal, it would be a home run. Giving up the two young stars on your team is a tough sell but Rantanen is an elite player. They already sent Brock Faber to the Minnesota Wild in a trade, so keeping one of their defensemen in the system is important.
Nightmare scenario: Standing pat
The Kings should not do nothing at the NHL trade deadline. Standing pat is rare in this era but Los Angeles has been quiet so far this week. General manager Rob Blake should either choose to send out pending free agents or add a big name. This roster has no chance in a seven-game series against Edmonton, as proven over the past three years. Whichever direction Blake wants to go, he has to start that process right now.
Trading Vladislav Gavrikov and Tanner Jeannot could net a solid return of draft picks to help the Kings improve this core. But extending those players and adding a right-handed scorer like Kyle Palmieri would also help them. Whichever one they go with, it should be the direction of the team for the foreseeable future.
If the Kings make an addition at the trade deadline, know that they are going for it and trying to beat the Oilers in the playoffs. But don't be stunned if they sell some pieces to reset the roster and build around their younger players. The Kings came out of their rebuild one year early, making the playoffs earlier than expected in 2021-22. Because of that, their pipeline is not very deep despite some lean years before that.
This is the trade deadline where the Kings can set themselves up for a solid future. They cannot stand pat on Friday afternoon.
