The Los Angeles Kings have a few big decisions to make regarding their pending free agents, and there's no bigger pending UFA than defenseman Matt Roy.
Roy's become a staple on the Kings' backend over the last few seasons and has posted some of the best underlying numbers on the team during that time.
That success has been a massive win for the team, getting so much value out of a seventh-round pick, however, it has seemingly priced him out of a return to LA.
In a different scenario, the Kings could probably stretch a little and "overpay" Roy to bring him back, but with Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence waiting in the wings, there's no reason to.
Replacing Roy in a one-for-one situation isn't going to happen. Especially to start the season, the Kings' blueline will be weaker assuming no other moves are coming.
That's okay for this team though. They're clearly not a Cup contender with Roy and freeing up spots for Spence, and in particular Clarke, to blossom will bring long-term benefits for the organization.
Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward and that's what letting Roy walk does.
I've talked about the Roy situation a lot, and keeping him at $5 million-plus doesn't make sense.
That leaves you in a position where you're either, blocking Clarke's development, paying Roy too much for a 3rd pair role or moving someone to their off-side. None of these are good decisions.
This is also the reality of a flat cap league, you can't keep everyone and sometimes you must allow good players to hit free agency.
Roy will go and be a solid top-four defenseman wherever he signs.
The Kings will give a bigger role to Clarke and Spence and deal with the hiccups that brings. In the long run, they will be a better team for it, especially if it allows Clarke to hit his potential.