The Los Angeles Kings are 11-8-3, good for third in the Pacific division. To start the year, LA is 4-5-0 against teams within the Pacific. They have a precarious one-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers and are just two points ahead of Seattle and Vancouver. They are not on stable ground.
While still early in the season, they have been incredibly inconsistent. Not knowing what team will show up each night will force trade speculation to begin swirling around the franchise, especially after efforts like the 7-2 thrashing at the hands of the San Jose Sharks.
For the sake of discussion, let’s examine if and how the Kings could get a trade done.
Due to some significant factors regarding the state of the franchise, there aren’t many feasible paths to making a trade happen. Firstly, under Rob Blake, the Kings have handed out no-trade clauses as if they were Halloween candy.
Anze Kopitar, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Kevin Fiala cannot be moved without their consent. The modified trade list includes Drew Doughty, Joel Edmundson, Adrian Kempe, Phillip Danault, Warren Foegele, Darcy Kuemper, and Tanner Jeannot.
That group accounts for $58,015,000 of the Kings’ cap space. That’s well over half of their cap and a value that cannot be moved or won’t be easily moved without shedding other assets and involving considerable salary retention.
Regarding the cap space, there is little that can be done with that too.
Due to the Doughty injury, a considerable amount of cap space is currently available for the Kings. The LTIR pool for the team is sitting at $10,453,334, which can get you grade-A elite talent if needed. The problem is that Doughty will return, as this is far from the type of that hurdles into the playoff non-cap loophole. In fact, Doughty could return in weeks and the Kings would need to be cap compliant upon his return.
Per Puckpedia, the Kings are estimated to have $-377,128 when Doughty returns. Sending Andreas Englund or Jacob Moverare down should facilitate the Kings’ compliance with the cap while barely keeping their nostrils above water.
As much as the fans don’t want to hear it, one clear option stands out and it doesn’t burn more assets or requires LA to retain any more salary for players who are not with the Kings (Ivan Provorov and Mike Richards are still on the books).
If a trade happens, Trevor Moore is likely the fall guy.
Moore is a fan favorite due to his local roots, and he’s been a consistent force for the Kings during his tenure as a fixture to Danault on the second line. Moore had his first 30-goal season just last year, facilitated by an unreal first-quarter performance and high shooting percentage.
Unlike the 58 million dollar no-move group the Kings carry around, Moore doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract. At $4,200,000 a year with some term and coming off a 30-goal season on a team that historically struggles to score goals, another team may value the 29-year-old as a key depth piece.
It certainly doesn’t help that he’s not having an ideal start to the year. In 22 games, Moore currently sits at 3g-10a-13p as a -2. After scoring 57 points last year, Moore is slightly off the same pace, just souring in the goalscoring department.
Still, the underlying factors regarding Moore’s slow goal scoring start, contract value, and no-trade clause portray Moore as a legitimate trade piece if needed.
The sad truth is that there isn’t much to play with concerning assets, as the Kings used to wheel and deal from a position of strength: their defensive pipeline. Over the last three seasons, the Kings either dealt, let walk, or waived Brock Faber, Sean Durzi, Sean Walker, Helge Grans, Tobias Bjornfot, and Matt Roy.
That’s quite a list of players who didn’t stick around to improve a team that has fallen short of their goals for three straight seasons. A fourth in a row is a genuine possibility.
The Kings no longer have the same coffers as they did in the past, as they have dealt quality assets for ready-now talent. Potential success has waned considerably due to critical moves that have not played out as the Kings’ management had hoped, and they have backed themselves into a wall.
Now forced into a reality where they are dealing from a position of weakness, a player like Moore might have to be shipped elsewhere.
Luckily, the Kings and Moore aren’t quite at those crossroads yet. As the team surges towards the All-Star break, they must revisit their options if the Kings continue their up-and-down play that has plagued them this season.