Insider Reveals LA Kings' Potential Trade Deadline Focus on Defensemen
© Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images - Insider Reveals LA Kings' Potential Trade Deadline Focus on DefensemenThe Los Angeles Kings have been one of the best teams in the NHL since November 27th. Since then, they hold the highest point percentage of any team in the league at .813.
Barring a large scale collapse, the Kings are destined for the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. If history is any predictor for the future, playoff-bound teams will be looking to add pieces at the NHL’s annual Trade Deadline. While it’s difficult to predict whether or not the Kings will be one of those teams, it’s safe to assume that they will at least explore possibilities, even with limited cap and roster space.
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff believes the Kings should be in the market for a very specific position:
“Yeah, and definitely a left shot guy (on defense). Like I look at their forward group and I say, tell me where the hole is, right? Because they've got a unique mix of forwards.
They're really strong down the middle. If you want to throw Kevin Fiala on that top line, you can move things around if you need to. I think there aren't very many holes with this team up front.
But I look at their blue line and say they've got the opposite problem of really just about everyone else. When Doughty comes back, you've got Doughty, Clarke, Spence on your right side. What does the left side look like for you?
Mikey Anderson has been fantastic. I think he's one of the more underrated players in the league. Obviously, you've got Vladislav Gavrikov.
But Joel Edmondson at this stage of his career and Jacob Moverare, I think when you look at some of those guys, if you've got Edmondson on your third pair, great. Things will sort itself out a little bit on the blue line. When Doughty comes back, I just think one more additional pump that they could give the left side of their defense would be really important.”
Seravalli’s point about Edmundson rings more true than it would have a week ago. The veteran defensemen is currently day-to-day with an injury following a scary collision with Tampa Bay’s Zemgus Girgensons.
Edmundson’s current injury, and more importantly, his long injury history prior to joining the Kings, does raise questions about the left side of LA’s defensive corps. Whether the Kings are willing to relinquish assets to address any perceived lack of left-defense depth remains to be seen.