Kings Help Tampa and Themselves

Kings need a legit top pair LD, Bjornfot and Anderson proved they can play at the NHL level, but rushing them to play top-4 minutes is the main issue to get that player. Oleksiak doesn't really remedy that situation.

I believe your TJ trade value is spot on, but a bad fit for the Kings. One, they want to use their cap space and assets to get one or two top-6 wingers who can bolster goal scoring. I believe the Kings have cheaper options in house (Moore and Athanasiou both had similar/better numbers than TJ this season) for bottom 6 players. Two, the Kings already have an impressive prospect pool who will all need time with the big club, not sure a late first provides any immediate relief to what Blake is trying to do. I believe this trade works, but its for Seattle to take on.

I think it's a pipe dream that the Kings are going to get a "legit top pair LD", personally. There just aren't any available and the asking price for one is going to be astronomical. Anderson and Doughty formed one of the best 5-on-5 pairs in the league last year, so I'm not sure I'd consider it "rushing" anymore. Mikey was thrown in the deep end and proved that his style of play fits with Drew. Why mess with that now? Even if the Kings were to get a guy --lets say for argument's sake that it's Werenski-- at some point, it's not like he'd be playing with Drew. He'd be ideal as the second line offensive anchor with Roy. The past few years, it's been proven that Drew works best with a shut-down defender. And that doesn't jive with the "dynamic LHD" that LA says that they want. So my guess is they're looking at changing the 3rd pair, not the first. In addition, LA has said that they're looking to add size on the back end. Oleksiak brings that, along with playoff experience.

As far as Johnson, he's got similar numbers playing 4th line minutes for Tampa. I think he'd be a candidate for a bounce-back season if put in a better spot to succeed. That could be next to Byfield or Vilardi, getting 2nd line minutes. This way, we don't lose a prospect or picks, and instead gain them. Maybe Blake uses that Tampa pick for a trade, or just picks the player in 2022, but it gives him more ammo for whatever he wants to do. Sending Wagner to Tampa keeps the same amount of roster spots open as before the trade, so it's not like it's any different that what we have currently, in terms of space for the prospects.

I worry about Blake taking on too many of these project players with decent cap hits (Maata last summer). Kings already have like 9-10 F spots locked up, every contract we sign (and it was already unlikely Wagner would be guaranteed a spot next season anyhow) is another Ontario player who has to wait. And in that group of 9-10F I still don't see legit top-line players other than Kopitar. Kings need to take a swing, RNH signing cheap means the Kings can make a legit push to get a good player to fill that role.

Now TJ could work with the team, but I would want more of a low risk / high reward free agent signings, like Galchenyuk, acquiring Nolan from Philly, or maybe stealing Taranseko away from the Blues while he has injury concerns. If the Kings can't get competitive this year, not sure why they kept the vets around.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, Blake has shown that he's going to take his sweet time getting the prospects up to LA. He's not going to open roster spots just because the fan-base and media are clamoring for a return to legitimacy. As far as next year, I think Byfield is the only rookie forward from the prospect pool that makes it full time. Kupari will likely get shots as JAD or Tkachev need to be rested/rotated. And Turcotte/Kaliyev will probably get an extended look when Byfield goes off to World Juniors, if he does. Other than that... Look for another year of waiting as vet contracts like Lizotte and Lemieux come off the books.

I'm with you in that I'm not a fan of the extra contracts. I get the Blake Lizotte signing was mostly for expansion draft purposes... but his time in LA has to be over. JAD has proven he's more dynamic in the lineup, and the Kings won't send Quinton back to OHL, so I'm still not a fan of the signing. As far as Tkachev, I can't comment on him till I see him on the ice, but that was out of left field, especially with the thoughts that LA wanted to get Kaliyev some time on the wing in the NHL.

I'm not necessarily opposed to going after Nolan or Tarasenko instead. But for both of those you're looking at giving up assets, which is what I was trying to avoid. I'd be fine if the price was right, though. And even then, they both come with significant risk, in my opinion, not low. They've both been injured and out for extended periods of time the past few seasons, and there's no guarantee that they'll be the same type of players they were (Tarasenko) or were projected to be (Patrick).

Couldn't agree more, really just need to see what Blake does. My hope is something like:

For forward: Saad 6x2, trade a 2nd rounder for Kessel ($1M retained)
For defense: I think we need a one or two year 22 min a night LD, someone like Edler, maybe?