The Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings remain deep in trade talks as the 2023 NHL Draft fast approaches.

With the draft set to go Wednesday from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has long known his window of opportunity.

But with the Kings opting to send defenceman Sean Durzi to Arizona in a cap-clearing move on Saturday, Cheveldayoff has quickly seen his timeline speed up.

In speaking with a number of league and front office sources across the league, The Hockey News has learned that the Kings and Jets are in fact deep in trade talks. One executive used the phrase "near inevitable" when responding to the strong possibility of a trade between the two Western Conference opponents.

At the moment, Pierre-Luc Dubois is the most likely candidate to be dealt out West in advance of the draft, with Connor Hellebuyck hot on his tail. The team also has Mark Scheifele and the contract of Blake Wheeler at its expense. 

Los Angeles is a team midway through a rebuild of its own, and the addition of Dubois, or even Hellebuyck, would come at a significant cost. That price would skyrocket should either player first sign a max extension with Winnipeg prior to being deal to the Kings. 

At the moment, players of interest for the Jets are forwards Gabe Vilardi and Quinton Byfield, as well as star prospect Brandt Clarke. It was believed that Durzi was previously a possibility in Winnipeg's return, but that is now off the table thanks to Saturday's deal with Arizona. 

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on Sunday morning that Vilardi and Alex Iafallo are expected to be part of the return to the Jets in the potential Dubois deal. Sportsnet's Ken Wiebe suggests a goaltender Joonas Korpisalo might provide Winnipeg some security on the back-end, should this trade go through. 

Wiebe's colleague Elliotte Friedman previously reported that Dubois had been in the process of narrowing down his list of possible trade destinations from 5-6 teams to roughly two. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli agreed, saying that Winnipeg "has a number of irons in the fire", when it comes to the Kings. 

According to Puck Pedia, L.A. currently has six free agents on its hands, including that of RFA forward Vilardi - a 23-year-old centre with three years of team control remaining. Pheonix Copley is the club's only big league goaltender under contract for 2023-24. 

Korpisalo will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1. The Jets' Vezina Trophy-nominated goaltender would certainly provide the Kings with some solidarity on the back-end. 

Whether the possible trade does involve Dubois, Hellebuyck, or even Scheifele, it is bound to garner sizeable return for Winnipeg.

Eleven players from last season are currently without contract (six UFAs, five RFAs) meaning significant reconstruction will likely occur this offseason. 

The expectation is that Wheeler will be bought out should a trade partner not arise, while Dubois and Hellebuyck have each made it clear they do not intend to sign long-term deals in Manitoba. And for the third-straight summer, Scheifele is once again the wild card. 

With Nashville opening up a boatload of cap space in Saturday's Ryan Johansen trade, Cheveldayoff may be intrigued to send his No. 1 centre to a division rival. It shouldn't take much more than a pair of backstage passes to the local Morgan Wallen show for Scheifele, a country music enthusiast, to waive his no-movement clause for a residence in Tennessee. 

With the draft now less than 96 hours away, the collective heartbeat within the Jets' front office is raising faster than the chance of rain in what is a rather hot and humid week in Music City.