Kevin Fiala's season-ending injury has one pundit wondering if they might be interested in Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks could attempt to peddle their UFA-eligible players at the trade deadline.
Before the current Olympic trade freeze, the Los Angeles Kings bolstered their offense by acquiring and re-signing superstar left winger Artemi Panarin.
However, Kevin Fiala's season-ending leg injury could put them back into the trade market for another scoring forward.
On Monday, Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times reported Kings president Luc Robitaille said the club must adjust to Fiala's absence. He believes GM Ken Holland is "pounding the phone right now" seeking a deal.
The Kings' GM could use right winger Warren Foegele as trade bait after hinting he could be moved following the Panarin deal.
Ben Kuzma of The Province observed that the Kings' acquisition of Panarin and the looming retirement of long-time center Anze Kopitar put them in "win-now" mode. He wondered if they might shift their focus toward center Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks.
The 27-year-old Pettersson has surfaced frequently in trade rumors over the past two years. Kuzma pointed out that the Kings have over $15 million in projected trade-deadline cap space, providing them with ample room to take on Pettersson's $11.6-million annual cap hit. He would also be reunited with former linemate Andrei Kuzmenko.
Pettersson is in the second season of an eight-year contract. He also has a full no-movement clause, but Kuzma wondered if a move to Los Angeles might pique his interest, especially since his wife lived there for 13 years.
Kuzma wondered if the Kings have the tradeable assets to pull it off. The Canucks would want a young center in return for Pettersson, and the Kings aren't parting with Quinton Byfield. A package of draft picks and prospects won't address the Canucks' immediate needs.
Moving Pettersson at the trade deadline appears to be a remote possibility. That's a move that might have to wait until the off-season.
Speaking of the Blackhawks, Scott Powers of The Athletic replied to his readers' questions about the rebuilding club's plans for the trade deadline.
Powers expects they will entertain offers for UFA-eligible players such as defensemen Connor Murphy and Matt Grzelcyk, and forwards Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Dickinson and perhaps captain Nick Foligno.
Murphy could have the most trade value, but that will depend on the market. Powers thinks a third-round pick might be a realistic return.
The Blackhawks aren't expected to part with veterans signed beyond this season, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Andre Burakovsky and Teuvo Teravainen. According to Powers, one reason is they're banking on those players' contracts to get them to the salary-cap floor next season.
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