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The Los Angeles Kings entered the international break hanging onto the third spot in the Pacific Division standings. After losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in three-straight years, they came into this season looking to slay the beast.
Drew Doughty's preseason injury is over, and Los Angeles should look to hit the gas after the break. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Kings are looking to add a right-handed forward at the NHL trade deadline.
When going through team needs ahead of the deadline, Friedman said, “I think Kings, right-shot scorer.”
The Kings have a ton of left-handed scorers at the top of their lineup. Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, and Quinton Byfield are all lefty shots. Bringing in a right-handed shot will help their power play and create a deeper lineup. Despite their team success, the Kings are ranked 29th in power-play percentage so far this year.
The Kings have just more than $2 million in cap space and all but one of their 2024 draft picks available to deal. They traded their second-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Tanner Jeannot, who could be out the door to make salary work. Who are the best fits for Los Angeles at the deadline?
The Kings must make a big deal at the trade deadline
The Western Conference is deep with great teams who are off to great starts this year. The Central Division is chock full of Cup contenders, and the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers are duking it out for the Pacific title. But the Kings are lurking with veterans and young stars who can make a playoff push with one more piece.
The Penguins are in the basement of the Eastern Conference and should deal all of their valuable assets. Rickard Rakell is the top right-handed shot available and should be on the move.
If the Kings send their first-round pick to the Penguins, they can stick Rakell in their top six and on their power play. Despite Pittsburgh's poor offense, Rakell has 25 goals this year, more than everyone besides Kempe on the Kings.
If the Kings wanted to make a long-term investment with this move, they could try and poach Dylan Cozens from the Buffalo Sabres. At just 23 years old, he is having a brutal season with Buffalo and could be on the move. This would cost more than just a first-round pick but could be worth it long term.
