of course blake didnt trade lewis

Or Ryan, or Hutton who are taking playing time away from Bjornfot and Clague who should be getting some NHL games in around this time of year.

Bjornfot will play at most 6 more games with LA this season. They won't waste a year of his ELC to play more than that, because it can slide a year if he stays under 10 games played in the NHL. With Forbort gone, look for Mikey Anderson to get some time with the big club sooner rather than later.

I would rather have Bjornfot and Clague get some meaningful games during a playoff run than the throw away games that are left this year.

I don't have a horse in the Kings' race. As an Oiler fan, I genuinely hate seeing them succeed and have enjoyed the past few seasons where the Kings have toiled.

However: I'm enamored with prospects and how they develop. The Kings have a really good thing going in Ontario, and it's arguably better for guys like Clague to be eating more minutes in a winning environment. This is Bjornfot's first year in North America - he's adjusted phenomenally well - but taking time in the AHL to really work out the minutia of his game only does the Kings more good in the long run. Vilardi seems to be getting exceptional treatment by the organization, but that definitely stems from him being physically ready for the NHL the second his name was called at the draft. He's put in time in order to get his back situated and delaying his rise to the NHL any further isn't going to better prepare him to be a top-six center.

The Prokhorkin usage is interesting, but as someone who has experienced how McLellan operates a roster, he'll probably see some higher usage in due time. The roster blender will come out eventually.

By not trading Lewis, Ryan, or Hutton, you've essentially traded the potential for a few late picks in order to better develop key prospects. The Kings did nothing wrong here.

I get what your saying but those guys will all still come up and rotate thru the line up. I am kinda surprised that no one came calling for Hutton. But maybe that means Blake wants to keep him. Ryan and Lewis didn’t really shock me they stayed. People have to want them too for them to get traded. I could see all three of those guys back next year. Hutton in the line up. Ryan and Lewis as the spare guys that sit. I would much rather those guys sit then to call up a young guy to sit. All that depends on whose moving up from juniors and from oversees though and whose coming up from Ontario next year. Waivers, # of contracts all that plays into too. Should be an interesting summer