The connections are obvious, which is exactly why the Los Angeles Kings have quickly emerged as a popular landing spot for Vincent Trocheck.

He knows Peter Laviolette. He knows Artemi Panarin. He played some of the best hockey of his career alongside both in New York.

On the surface, it makes perfect sense.

The problem is that hockey decisions aren't made on the surface.

Simply reuniting a player with a former coach and teammate doesn't automatically make a trade the right move, especially for a Kings team that has spent the last five years searching for answers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Los Angeles isn't looking for a feel-good reunion story. It's looking for whatever finally gets it past the first round.

To Trocheck's credit, he checks a lot of important boxes.

He wins faceoffs. He plays in all situations. Coaches trust him defensively. He brings leadership and playoff experience. Even in a season limited by injuries, he remained productive whenever he was in the lineup.

Trocheck finished with 16 goals and 37 assists for 53 points in 67 games. Over a full 82-game season, that pace projects to roughly 20 goals and 45 assists for 65 points. For a player approaching his 33rd birthday, that's still strong production.

The question isn't whether Trocheck can still play.

He can.

The question is whether acquiring a veteran center with five years remaining on his contract is the move that finally changes Los Angeles' fortunes.

Because if the Kings are going to make a major swing, there may be a more impactful option available.

Why pursue Trocheck when Dylan Larkin could potentially be on the market?

Yes, there is a connection there as well. Kings general manager Ken Holland spent more than two decades running the Detroit Red Wings and was the executive who drafted Larkin 15th overall in 2014.

But unlike the Trocheck argument, this isn't simply about familiarity.

Larkin is younger, faster, and arguably the more dynamic player.

He's recorded five consecutive 30-goal seasons and remains one of the league's better two-way centers despite playing on a Red Wings team that has struggled to take the next step. Even as Detroit's season unraveled late, Larkin kept producing. He finished the year with four goals and five assists over his final five games.

Trocheck, meanwhile, had one goal and two assists during that same stretch.

None of this is meant as a knock on Trocheck. He's still an excellent player.

It's simply a reflection of what Los Angeles actually needs.

The Kings already know who they are defensively.

A blue line featuring Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty, Brandt Clarke, Joel Edmundson, Brian Dumoulin, and Cody Ceci gives them plenty of structure, experience, and physicality. Even in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche, defense wasn't the primary issue.

The sweep looks ugly on paper, but the series itself was far more competitive than the final result suggests. Three of the four games were tightly contested before Colorado finally created separation in Game 4.

Los Angeles wasn't getting run out of the building.

They just weren't scoring enough.

That reality was perfectly captured during TNT's playoff coverage when the studio panel discussed what the Kings needed to do differently.

When the question was directed toward Wayne Gretzky, the Hall of Famer immediately delivered a response that sent the studio into laughter.

"Score."

After the joke landed, Gretzky expanded on the thought.

"No, but you guys said it best. LA are playing their hearts out, but they happen to be playing the best team in the National Hockey League right now, and that makes it tough."

The comment was funny because it was true.

The Kings don't need to reinvent themselves. They don't need to suddenly become harder to play against. They've already established that identity.

What they need is another offensive gear.

Trocheck could certainly help provide some of that. His versatility, leadership, and consistency would make him a valuable addition to almost any contender.

But if Los Angeles is serious about finally breaking through after five consecutive first-round exits, it may be worth aiming even higher.

Sometimes the right move isn't the familiar one.

It's the bigger one.