Should LA Kings’ Ken Holland Make a Move for Dylan Larkin, Darnell Nurse?
Two valuable players have reportedly hit the trade market by request, and Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland is close to both.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse have both requested trades, and Holland could be in on both.
They would be upgraded, but what would the cost be?
Larkin has requested a trade after becoming noticeably frustrated with Detroit GM Steve Yzerman and the team’s direction. Larkin made his NHL debut during the 2015-16 season and has been with the organization since then. However, he has not tasted playoff hockey, coming close several times only to have the team collapse late in the season. This season, the Red Wings collapsed again, but this time, Larkin did not keep things to himself. He voiced his frustration with Yzerman’s inaction at the deadline. This did not sit well with Yzerman, which may have given Larkin what he wants and led to a trade.
Moving Larkin to Los Angeles might be difficult, as he has a full no-trade clause, but he gave a list of more than three teams he wants to be moved to. Those teams are likely Stanley Cup contenders, which the Kings are not right now. Larkin does have a contract through 2030-31 and carries an average annual value (AAV) of $8.7 million.
The trade request for Nurse came out of nowhere, seemingly for the same reason as Larkin. Edmonton has failed to get any playoff success in the past five seasons, falling short in two Stanley Cup finals. Nurse is a defenseman Los Angeles could use as a veteran who plays physical, can play regular shifts, and play on special teams.
Nurse does hint that the Kings are one of the teams he wants to play for but will Edmonton trade him inside the division? Edmonton may be looking to rebuild on the fly like Detroit. Los Angeles does have cap space, draft picks, and prospects to make a deal for both Larkin and Nurse. The Kings have 30 draft picks over the next four NHL drafts and have every first and second-round pick remaining.
Los Angeles desperately lacks center depth. As of today, the centers are Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Alex Laferriere, and Samuel Helenius.
Larkin has been consistent, scoring 30 goals or more and 67 points in the last five seasons. He is also considered one of the best two-way centers in the league. If acquired, Larkin would arguably add a lot as the Kings’ number two center and give them a boost in the special teams department.
Nurse would be an upgrade somewhat to the defense Los Angeles has now. Neither Brian Dumoulin nor Cody Ceci have played up to the Kings standards and Los Angeles might seek yo move one of those players in a deal for Nurse or Larkin. He also has playoff experience, so he could be a factor come the second season.
For Los Angeles, key pieces that could be moved to either Detroit or Edmonton include forwards Cole Guttman, Martin Chromiak, Francesco Pinelli, and Koehn Zimmer, as well as goaltender Erik Portillo. Trades could also include veterans Treovr Moore, Dumoulin, and Darcy Kuemper.
Holland has been the GM in both Edmonton and Detroit, so he knows Larkin and Nurse well. He could persuade them to come to Los Angeles, but a deal still has to be made.
He drafted Larkin and was a part of the Oilers when Nurse started to become a real factor on the blue line.
Adding one or both of these players could really shake up the roster and give them a boost heading into next season.
For the center position, there is always a chance Holland could look at Shane Wright (Seattle Kraken), Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues), or Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils).
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