Strome is not worth a 1st.

1. I don't think Minnesota would give us a 1st this year for Strome.
2. I don't think Lias is bringing back a 2nd either (we'd be lucky to get a 3rd or swap him with another struggling prospect).
3. I'm not sure if Miller will be ready at the start of the year for a top 4 role (hopefully he is) and I'd rather sign a vet d-man to play with Deangelo instead of Hajek (unless he shows something in this upcoming playoffs to show otherwise).
4. Plus we'd still have the 3 goalie carousel like this year, which definitely won't work (at that point buyout Hank if he doesn't retire, wanna move his NMC or we can't find a taker).
5. I wish the Staal trade would happen, but LA fans are gonna demand a 1st or something ridiculous so I'd just buy him out as well.
6. And I'm not sure why we'd trade for Steen when we could get Bozak instead who'd be the 3rd line center who also happens to be a tad cheaper (we'd probably have to give up a 4th to get him I think).
7. And boy it'd be pretty sick to land Laffy.
8. Not hating at all and sorry for the long reply. Genuinely can't wait for hockey to start back and see what happens with the team.

Like I have said previously, the Kings might consider this if their higher priority LHD targets fall through.

yeah ik just putting everything together In this post. targets where Leddy and who else?

Kings fans are fine with this if their options don't come to fruition. Bozak is not a cap dump and can play. Deal is just based on Blues saving around $2M.

Well that's great news for us if that were to happen. Yeah I catch what you mean on Bozak. It's honestly why I'd rather him I feel like he could be a solid veteran presence on the 3rd line.

Hjarmarsson is the number 1 target imo. I'd take Staal before Leddy because I dont want a vet LD for more than one year. Bjornot could be in the NHL this year, next year, and the year after if the Kings let him. He'll most definitely be in the lineup after next season.

Steen is like 35 he can fulfill that role

I'm in it for the Staal name. Just like Iginla, we love to take great players after they aren't great anymore lol

Sounds good! I have serious doubts ARI trades their only competent RHD tho...

This pretty low risk in LA's position. Plus it's a "gift basket" for Alec Martinez's SCF goal.....

How are Bjornot and Clague developing? Last I've seen they've been coming along slowly. Are they potential long term top 4 options? Just curious

They may have little choice, they need cap space. Kings can take both Hjarmarsson and Grabner assuming they'd waive. There's almost 9M in cap space right there.

yeah well have to see. think they just send Stepan and Raanta to buffalo

Bjornfot could be in the NHL right now. He was playing with Doughty in the beginning of the year for about 6 games and looked great. Kings said they weren't ready for him pretty much. His development is fine if they keep him in the AHL this year and put him on the Kings the year after you can bet he'll go right to that top pair with Doughty and immediately make a shut down impact.

Clague is kind of a wild card at this point. He'll be a fringe NHLer imo. 6th/7th dman at best. I hope I'm wrong though.

Well that's good to hear about Bjornfot. I'm honestly a little surprised about Klague. I thought that was a solid pick when they made it.

Maybe, but they'd have a hole to fill at center in which they'd need cap space in order to fill.

A couple UFA targets. Nesterov from CSKA Moskow (formerly from TBL) has reportedly been offered a 2 year @ $3M AAV contract already. He's probably priority #1. There has been some talk about TJ Brodie as well. Brendan Dillon and Joe Edmundson might get a look. If he's healthy and thinking about playing again, I'd like to see them take a look at Jay Bouwmeester as well. Not sure if he'd fit in St. Louis' cap plans.

Trade targets include Hjalmarsson, Leddy, and Staal, in that order of preference.

He was. He was a huge impact player in the CHL, I loved watching him.

On the PP on the Reign he and Vilardi reminded me so much of Doughty and Kopitar on the PP. They moved just like them and look identical. I hope they can translate that chemistry to the NHL, but I doubt it. Clague and MacDermid(incredibly underrated defensive defenseman) will most likely share the 6th and 7th spots.

Hopefully he can put it together at the NHL level because that'd create a formidable defense core to go along with an absolutely filthy group of forwards and prospects you guys have.

You have to consider the expansion draft and the defensive exposure requirements. The Kings have to expose at least one defenseman who is signed past 2021 that played in 40+ games in 2020-21 or 70+ games in 2019-20 and 2020-21 combined. As it stands now, the Kings defensive corps will look like this next season:

Doughty (protected)
Walker (protected)
Roy (protected)
Clague (protected)
Anderson (exempt)
MacDermid (unprotected)
UFA LHD (unprotected)

MacDermid is signed through the 2021-22 season. He played in 45 games this season, meaning in order to satisfy the exposure requirements, he'll have to play in at least 25 games next season. I'm sure that's part of the plan right now, but if he has a season ending injury after game 24, then MacDermid will no longer satisfy that requirement. It would be nice if they had a backup option available. If they acquire a LHD on a 1-year deal, then he doesn't satisfy that requirement either, and the Kings will be forced to expose a defenseman that they had planned on protecting (one Walker or Roy, Clague probably won't get 40+ games).

There's a reason why that deal they offered to Nesterov was for 2 years.

I am aware of that and as I've stated before I'd be perfectly fine letting Clague go unprotected. If we acquired Sergachev like I hope we do even though that's farfetched, I would protect Doughty, Sergachev, and Roy. Yes, leaving Walker exposed.

... which doesn't really help us.

ok

However, even if Clague is left unprotected, he'll have to play in at least 40 games next season in order to qualify the exposure requirements. It's unlikely that he gets that many games.

Leaving Roy or Walker exposed would be a mistake. They carry too much value to lose them for nothing. If you're not going to protect them, then you should trade them at the deadline next year.