The Los Angeles Kings only have two RFAs remaining after extending Quintin Byfield to a five-year, $31.25 million extension.
Jordan Spence and Arthur Kaliyev remain unsigned. In contrast, Spence will likely resign in the next few weeks. The same can't be said for Kaliyev, who looks like he is on the next plane out of town.
After requesting a trade at the end of the season, the Kings are having difficulty finding a trade partner. However, one team that makes tons of sense is the Colorado Avalanche.
If you think back to when they signed Val Nichushkin after he was bought out by the Dallas Stars, it was a reclamation project. The team saw a young player with potential and took a chance on him, and it worked out.
The same could happen with Kaliyev; the Avalanche could give him a chance on a stacked team and just let him play. Colorado could start him in the bottom six, and if he plays well, reward him.
Hypothetically, the same could happen with the Kings, but the relationship between the player and the organization would need to be repaired.
The best thing to do is simply trade him to another team and let them figure out how to get him to reach his potential.
The Kings may ask for a combination of draft picks or prospects; however, since the Avalanche are over the salary cap, they could look at dumping some money.