LA Kings Rumors: Three Jonathan Quick trades with Penguins
By Ryan Sikes
Trade #2: LA Kings get defenseman Josh Maniscalco for Jonathan Quick
The LA Kings don’t necessarily need to request a goalie in exchange. As noted, Ingham, Parik, etc., are in the pipeline, and the early reports suggest that Parik will be pretty darn good. Therefore, I have the Kings bolstering their defensive depth in this particular return, acquiring right-shot defenseman Josh Maniscalco.
The 21-year-old stands at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and went undrafted out of Arizona State. According to Scott Wheeler, he’s ranked as the eighth-best prospect and second-best defensive prospect in the Penguins’ organization.
At the time he was signed by Pittsburgh, here’s what Jim Rutherford had to say regarding Maniscalco:
“Josh is a solid puck-moving, offensive defenseman,” said Rutherford. “He jumps into the rush and plays a style that is complementary to our group. We think highly of his character and are happy to add Josh to the organization.”
He was part of the Sun Devils’ top defensive unit, tallying 11 goals and 32 points in 36 games during the 19-20 season. He’s playing with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate to start the 2021 season, waiting for a spot to open up on the right side at the NHL level, which could prove difficult with Letang, Mario, Ceci occupying the three spots.
I also have the LA Kings picking up a fourth-rounder in the 2022 NHL Draft, which has yielded promising prospects as of late, with Jordan Spence, Aidan Dudas, and Mikey Anderson taken between 2019 and 2017.