The Los Angeles Kings have had a busy year in terms of signings, trades, recalls and conditioning stints with the Ontario Reign. The trade deadline is over and the team was pretty quiet this year, making only one move on actual trade deadline day.
Since October 2018, The Kings have added the following players – Carl Hagelin, Pavel Jenys, Nikita Scherbak, Brendan Leipsic, Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi. The Kings have also added a 2019 1st round pick, 2019 3rd round pick, 2019 4th round pick and a 2020 4th round pick. They have a total of 10 picks in this upcoming draft.
Through these moves the Kings have benefited the team they have also given up the following players since October – Tanner Pearson, Stepan Falkovsky, Jake Muzzin, Spencer Watson, Nate Thompson, Carl Hagelin and Oscar Fantenberg. These moves were made to try and acquire the last playoff spot, however most of those moves included picks and not players ready to step in now.
Kings fans knew changes would be coming eventually after a dismal start to the year and changes might not be done with free agency coming sooner than later. In my personal opinion the Fantenberg move was puzzling because of his potential and the Jake Muzzin move could have freed up a spot for him next year. He is young, could play both ends of the ice and had some potential to crack the roster full time next year, with the Kings getting a 4th round pick.
As of right now the only key piece the team received through all of these trades was Carl Grundstrom. A rebuild is difficult for the organization and the fans. If done successfully the rebuild can take as little as two years, but if done incorrectly the rebuild can set the team back as much as 5 years.
Now we turn to free agency, where the team is expected to be active. Who would you like to see the team sign in the off season?
Photo: NHL.com
