Jim Hiller (David Gonzales-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/cea1ac61-be86-4f91-832e-a7e6ebca94e4.jpeg] Jim Hiller (David Gonzales-Imagn Images) The Los Angeles Kings have been stuck in a rut after losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers for the last three seasons. While the Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights battle for the top spot in the Pacific Division, the third-place Kings' 67 points are as close to the Calgary Flames (62), which are one point out of a wild-card spot, as they are to the Oilers (72), which are second in the Pacific. They're also four points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks (63), which sit in the second wild-card spot. Whether or not the Kings face the Oilers yet again in the first round, they do face pressure to lock in their playoff spot and, more importantly, eliminate whichever club they do take on first. They likely need to make a trade by March 7 to give them the best chance possible, because there are doubts about Los Angeles right now. Remember when the Kings played Brandt Clarke as a forward for a game to boost offense? In a way, Drew Doughty feels like a trade deadline acquisition [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/the-doughty-effect]. He made his season debut on Jan. 29 after recovering from a fractured ankle. His goal and two assists on Saturday were crucial in Los Angeles beating the Utah Hockey Club 5-3. He even logged 31:09 of ice time on Feb. 8 and looked solid for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But don’t kid yourself: Kings GM Rob Blake is under a great deal of pressure to put this team on a deeper playoff run. Los Angeles has about $3.56 million in cap space [https://puckpedia.com/team/los-angeles-kings] to play with by the NHL trade deadline, and Blake should look at available forwards. The Kings remain a strong defensive team thanks to coach Jim Hiller. Doughty's return gives them more offensive power from the back end as well. But the Kings average just 2.87 goals-for per game [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/game-day/stars-vs-kings-a-clash-of-contrasting-franchise-builds#:~:text=Despite%20this%20defensive%20success%2C%20their%20goal%20production%20is%20on%20pace%20to%20be%20the%20lowest%20since%20their%20return%20to%20the%20playoffs%20in%202021%2D22], which ranks 19th in the NHL. Their power play is even worse, as their 15.2-percent success rate ranks 29th overall. There could be forwards available via trade who can help with offense without Hiller's defensive system falling apart, including the Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell, Chicago Blackhawks’ Ryan Donato and a bottom-six option, the Philadelphia Flyers’ Scott Laughton. Los Angeles will have to outbid the many teams that will be interested in those players, and it may take including a top draft pick to get a deal done. Blake has all three of his first-round picks in the next three years, as well as two second-rounders. It doesn’t make much sense to hang onto all of them at a time in the Kings’ competitive cycle when they're trying to go further in the playoffs. Kings Trade Asset May Surprise You – Not Who You Think [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/posts%2FNHLLAK%2Fcontent-images%2F1bf36acd-7902-4ed5-b4ec-9b381425975f.jpeg?alt=media] Kings Trade Asset May Surprise You – Not Who You Think The Kings won't be sellers this deadline, which indicates their progress towards this point. Firmly in position to make the playoffs for a fourth year in a row, an upgrade is needed. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-trade-asset-may-surprise-you-not-who-you-think-1] Blake needs his team to beat the Oilers or any other squad in the first round to justify his blueprint for success. If the Kings don't get out of that rut for the fourth-straight season, there should be serious questions about that blueprint. That’s why the Kings are a team to focus on as the trade deadline draws near. They have to show progress at some point. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
