LA Kings: LHD market gets thinner with reported Mike Matheson trade

The LA Kings options for their LHD just got smaller as Mike Matheson was traded to the Penguins.

It’s been noted that the LA Kings are in the market for a left-handed defenseman this offseason. They are fairly set on the right side, at least for next year, but the options for a LHD are narrowing by the day. Florida Panthers’ defenseman Mike Matheson was just traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Patric Hornqvist.

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Matheson, 26, is under contract through the 2025-2026 season with a $4.9M cap hit each year. He scored eight goals with 12 assists for 20 points in 59 games this past year while averaging 18:02 of on-ice time. He’s been an excellent shot-blocker through his first five seasons, logging a career-high 137 during the 2017-2018 campaign while accounting for a 1.6 OPS and 3.5 DPS.

But he hasn’t lived up to his contract, logging a 49.7 Corsi-for percentage and a 45.6 expected-goals-for percentage this year. Matheson was a healthy scratch for much of the playoffs as well, after drawing quite a few penalties in the first two games against the Islanders.

Joel Edmundson was already traded to the Montreal Canadiens and extended on a four-year deal. He wasn’t great last year for Carolina, by any means, but he’s only 27 with the hope that he would have been a bounceback candidate. He’s a year removed from winning the Stanley Cup with St. Louis and scored a goal with six assists in the postseason. But he’s no longer an option for LA.

What options do the LA Kings have left?

There are still some solid LHD players that the Kings could trade for if they prefer to go this route over signing a free agent to years longer than they would feel comfortable with. Olli Maatta of the Chicago Blackhawks was one of the guys that I also previously targeted. The 26-year-old has two years left on his deal at a $4.1M cap hit and finished with four goals and 13 assists. Notably, Matta logged over 100 shot blocks and hits as well.

Michal Kempny remains a decent option to consider trading for. The Kings would likely have to give up less to acquire him, and he has just two years left on his deal at a team-friendly $2.5M cap hit per season. Kempny, 30, scored three goals and chipped in 15 assists for the Capitals last year while averaging 18:38 of on-ice time. He logged a 0.8 OPS and 3.1 DPS as well.

In terms of players the Kings can sign, Ben Hutton remains an option. He’s familiar with Todd McLellan’s system, and he could see a boost in year two. He put up similar numbers as Kempny-four goals and 12 assists while accounting for similar OPS and DPS values. He’s 27, and the flat salary cap could play to the Kings’ advantage regarding Hutton. I guess it just boils down whether they see him in their long-term plans.

Perhaps the best option that remains available is Brenden Dillon. He’s likely to fetch a one or two-year deal in free agency, so the Kings don’t have to sink the years or the financial investment in him. Between San Jose and Washington, Dillon scored a goal with 13 assists in 69 games. He’s generally never been more than a five-goal scorer per season, but he has the capability of chipping in 20 assists. Oh, and he’s extremely physical, registering nearly 200 hits a year.

Don’t expect the Kings to be in on Torey Krug, as he’ll likely command a top-dollar, longer deal, and he’s already 30. By the time LA is ready to compete for a Cup run, Krug could be 33, and that’s assuming the prospects develop linearly.

The move is kind of puzzling from the Penguins’ perspective in that they already have a plethora of LHD. Adding another to give up a forward, who scored 17 goals with 15 assists last year, seems strange. But perhaps this could work out to the Kings’ advantage, as someone is likely to be available (not named Jack Johnson). While it seems like a long-shot, if LA could pluck Marcus Pettersson from the Penguins, that would be highway robbery.

We’ll see if this sparks Rob Blake to make a move sooner rather than later.