LA Kings: Three young LHD to target on St. Louis Blues

If the LA Kings want to target a young, left-handed defenseman, the salary cap-strapped St. Louis Blues could be the perfect trade partner.

As the LA Kings continue their quest to find a left-handed defenseman, one alternative that we haven’t explored yet is making a trade for a prospect that is on the verge of regular playing time at the NHL level. To this point, we’ve looked at several established veterans on salary cap-strapped teams.

The flat salary cap is going to impact several teams’ plans this offseason, and it will likely impact the contracts that individual players garner as well. A prime example on the Kings’ roster is Sean Walker, who was projected to receive a contract extension at a higher AAV, but he and the team agreed on a four-year extension at a $2.65 AAV.

Now that most of the restricted free agents have been signed, the Kings can solely focus on the draft and finding their LHD. Ideally, the Kings would like to find an established veteran, but they may opt for a younger, unproven player.

While they have just $5.2M in available cap space this offseason, the St. Louis Blues are intent on bringing Alex Pietrangelo back. He’s likely going to cost every bit of what they have left and then some, and while dealing a younger player won’t help much from a financial flexibility perspective, it will allow the Blues to gain extra draft capital. Let’s look at three younger left-handed defensemen on the Blues to consider trading for.