NOTE: this is not a rumor or suggestion of any kind. It’s an attempt to find a comparable trade to the recent NHL blockbuster between the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks. In this exercise, I will be using the perimeters of Friday’s massive trade that saw Mikko Rantanen being dealt [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/after-the-rantanen-trade-which-kings-players-are-truly-untouchable] from Colorado to Carolina. For example, I’ll be focusing on a pending UFA that’s due for a big raise. I will also be sure that said player is a superstar level asset, potentially reaching 100-point scoring seasons (Rantanen). Also, the team unloading that player is going to be getting a star with some term and incredible value (Necas). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE TRADE To LA: Mitch Marner (50% retained) To TOR: Adrian Kempe Brian Dumoulin 2026 2nd from LA To ANA: 50% of Marner’s cap hit 2025 3rd from LA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A PERFECT FIT FOR THE KINGS If there is one player that checks nearly all the boxes that represent the Kings’ biggest needs, it’s Mitch Marner. A bonafide top line winger and powerplay wizard, Marner is the right shot, offensive game-changer that LA (and dozens of other teams) surely covets. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, only 6 players have scored more points than Marner’s 483 in 385 games. He ranks 5th in assists with 341. Among the top 10 scorers in that same period of time, he ranks first in takeaways. The cherry on top for the Kings would be Marner’s strong defensive acumen. A Selke Trophy finalist in 2023, Marner has been consistently matched up against the top offensive units in the NHL and has been a fixture on Toronto’s top penalty kill unit. THEY’LL BE MISSING JUICE There's only one word that can come to mind for the Kings when imagining Adrian Kempe elsewhere: Pain. Where would the LA Kings be without Kempe? The Swedish star has not only established himself as one of the most complete wingers in hockey, but he has emerged as the heartbeat of the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/adrian-kempe-a-key-player-in-la-kings-present-and-future-plans]. He is their best player at even strength, on the powerplay, and on the penalty kill. All the excuses used for other players during offensive lapses simply don’t apply to Kempe. He transcends any perceived limitations that systems or coaching philosophies present. He plays with a combination of grit and finesse that most GM’s salivate over. While the loss of Kempe would be incredibly painful, the Maple Leafs aren’t likely to give Marner up without receiving a player of Kempe’s caliber in return. Names like Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala are unlikely to move the needle for Toronto. THE REALITY There is no concrete evidence that the Maple Leafs are willing to move Marner at this time. There is even less evidence that the Kings would move Kempe. There are no guarantees in the trade game, either. While Marner is on pace for a monstrous 112 point season, there is a chance his production would dip in LA’s offensive system [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-january-struggles-reflect-season-long-challenges] where pucks normally get funneled to the net from the point. To further complicate things from an LA perspective, Marner is a pending UFA that will likely command north of $12 million per season. The Kings would have to unload some salary in the off-season to accommodate his forthcoming massive cap hit. Still, it’s an interesting exercise. The Kings have long lacked the type of elite level players that annual Stanley Cup contenders possess. An acquisition like Marner would give them the type of weapon they desperately need to be viewed as a legitimate threat, but at the cost of Kempe? Maybe it’s for the best that this is only fantasy. THNKeithFriesKeysJan26
