A recent report suggests the Los Angeles Kings could be looking to add a depth forward who's got a bit of an edge to his game to their team. Wild's Pat Maroon could be the answer.
Recently on Elliotte Friedman's 32 Thoughts podcast, the respected Canadian Hockey Journalist and Reporter hinted that the Los Angeles Kings may be looking to move on from forward Arthur Kaliyev.
Friedman later said that if the Kings got a player with some edge to replace Kaliyev they would maybe take a deal. Would Pat Maroon entice the Kings?
Maroon, 35, has played all 49 games for the Wild this season and has fit in nicely. He has four goals and 16 points with 60 penalty minutes. Maroon has won three Stanley Cups in his career and has done a great job sharing his leadership with the Wild.
But being seven points out of a playoff spot in the West, the thought of the Wild deciding to sell some of their pieces shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. Just look at the Calgary Flames.
The Flames are ahead of the Wild in the standings but still decided to trade arguably their best player Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks for a hefty return thinking that they are likely out of a playoff race in the West.
The Wild currently lead the NHL with the most fights as a team at 26 and Maroon is a big part of that with six fights. The 6-foot-3 forward is tied for the team lead with Brandon Duhaime.
Speaking of Duhaime, if the Kings don't want Maroon in a deal for Kaliyev, could they possibly want Duhaime? Like Maroon, Duhaime is also on the last year of his deal but is nine years younger than Maroon.
I would think both of the two power forwards could be intriguing options for the Kings who could be shopping for a power forward that could shake up their locker room.
The Kings hold onto the first Wild card spot in the West but are 3-6-2 in their last ten games and went 3-8-5 in the month of January. Kaliyev is a former 2019 second-round pick by the Kings and is just 22 years old.
The native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, has six goals and 14 points for the Kings this season and has 34 goals and 70 points in 175 career NHL games. He recorded 13 goals and 28 points in 56 games for the Kings last season but has struggled a bit this year.
Kaliyev also played with Matt Boldy and Brock Faber in the 2021 World Junior Championship USA Team that won the Gold Medal. Boldy had five goals and seven points, Kaliyev had three goals and eight points, and Faber had five assists for five points all in seven games for Team USA.
The 6-foot-2 forward still has some potential and is young enough that a change of scenery could be what helps him reach his potential but he is on the last year of his deal and would need a contract after the season is over. He is a restricted free agent though so the Wild would have a little leveage.
If Minnesota continues to slip in the standings after the All-Star break, moving on from Maroon or others at the deadline could be smart but a move right now wouldn't make the most sense. Still something to keep an eye on though.