The Los Angeles Kings still have three RFA's to sign, headlined by Quinton Byfield and Jordan Spence. 

Arthur Kaliyev is the third RFA and we know his future in LA is up in the air. Limited playing time last season and a trade request have led to a fractured relationship that might be broken for good.

Wiping the slate clean and starting anew is the best option for both parties, but who knows if that option is on the table. 

The Kings reportedly tried to trade Kaliyev at the draft but found no suitors, however, things change after free agency and they might start to generate some interest as we creep toward training camp starting.

One team that might be interested is the Montreal Canadiens. THN writer Adam Proteau suggested the Canadiens as a potential landing spot for Kaliyev and it makes sense. 

As Proteau says in the piece, Montreal is still in the early stages of a scorched earth rebuild and has the runway to give Kaliyev a real look in a significant role.

There's certainly a top nine spot available to Kaliyev there and potentially even a top six one if he impresses in camp.

Of course, that could be available in LA too but that's a different conversation.

Getting a significant role on a team that has limited expectations next season could be exactly what Kaliyev needs. He could recover his confidence with less focus put on his deficiencies.

We're getting a little into fantasy here, but Montreal just drafted one of the most creative forward prospects in hockey in Ivan Demidov, and if Kaliyev hit in Montreal, a future Demidov-Kaliyev duo could be deadly.

For the Canadiens, it's a low-risk move that couldn't hurt. They'd get a young forward who's shown promise at a cut price who fits into their timeline. 

It is a little difficult to find a fit for the Kings though. Kaliyev's value has plummeted, so they aren't getting one of Montreal's better prospects, even someone like Joshua Roy is likely off the table. 

This is where the Joel Edmundson signing starts to hurt a little. There are a few left-shot defensemen Montreal might have parted with. 

With a plethora of lefties including Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson, to name a few, already ready for NHL spots they could afford to lose someone on the left side.

Rob Blake wanted to add size and toughness this summer, making Arber Xhekaj, a fellow RFA, a potential perfect fit.

Xhekaj is well-liked by Montreal's leadership, so they might not have been interested in moving him, but it would have been worth kicking tires on him.

He has his deficiencies and was sent down to the AHL last season because of them, but given his age and much lower cost, he would have been a better option at LD3 than Edmundson. 

That's almost certainly off the table now though. Adam Engstrom, a puck-moving lefty with some size, could have been another option, but that's also gone now.

That leaves a group of fellow young forwards who haven't made the league full-time as options.

Emil Heineman would be an interesting option for LA. He's already been traded twice in his young career, once for Tyler Toffoli, but he looks like a solid future bottom-six forward in the NHL.

He's big, skates well and is constantly engaged in the game, even if the offense is limited compared to someone like Kaliyev.

The Kings could also kick tires on the other Xhekaj brother, Florian, a forward who showed some offensive pop in his draft+1 season but whose calling card is physicality and intensity.

Luke Tuch and Vinzenz Rohrer are also potential options.

It really comes down to how highly the Canadiens would value Kaliyev and having an NHL-ready prospect. LA can get a more suited player to the bottom six role they've tried to put Kaliyev in the last three years and Montreal could get a low-risk, high-reward option for their rebuild.

As we get deeper into the summer, Kaliyev remaining a Kings feels more likely, but if someone like Montreal has an interest, there's a trade to be made there.