Utah and the Kings have the chance to swap pieces to help both organizations
The Los Angeles Kings and Utah have the chance to make a big splash this off-season. The Kings need a goalie who can simply stop the puck, and Utah could benefit from young scoring talent.
As a result, both sides could truly benefit from a Karel Vejmelka for Arthur Kaliyev swap. While it may be likely the Kings will need to sweeten the pot a bit more to make this trade work, flipping these two could help both organizations.
Kaliyev has formally requested a trade from the Kings and wants a fresh start. Utah can give him that; they have a younger team that he could easily fit into. However, with them wanting to be aggressive in free agency, he could be given a top-six role alongside some top-end talent.
Utah also has Connor Ingram as their starter and could afford to trade Vejmelka and replace him with another backup goalie who tests free agency.
As for the Kings, they need a starting goalie. Unfortunately, they likely won't be able to get a top-end starter based on their salary cap situation, which is why Vejmelka makes the most sense.
They have David Rittich locked up for the 2024–25 season after re-signing him earlier this off-season, and while they can bring back Cam Talbot, the likelihood would be slim if they acquired Vejmelka.
Trade Breakdown:
Los Angeles Kings Receive: Karel Vejmekla
Utah Receive: Arthur Kaliyev & 2024 4th round pick
The trade could be one-for-one, but Utah would probably ask for a bit more than Kaliyev since he didn't have his best season last year due to a lack of ice time. The Kings may need to give up a mid-tier draft pick to make the deal work.
This trade would truly be a win-win for both teams; they both will be addressing needs with this trade, and it gives both players involved a fresh start.