Three trades that shaped landscape of LA Kings rebuild
By Ryan Sikes
Trade #3: LA Kings trade Tyler Toffoli for Tyler Madden, 2020 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick
Tyler Toffoli‘s tenure with the LA Kings came with a bittersweet ending. The 28-year-old scored a hat-trick in the team’s Stadium Series against the Colorado Avalanche on February 15, 2020. Two days later, he was shipped off to the Vancouver Canucks for Tyler Madden, a 2020 second-round pick, and 2022 fourth-round pick.
Madden was a third-round pick in 2018, tallying 19 goals and 37 points for Northeastern University in the 19-20 season. The 21-year-old center turned heads in the Reign’s preseason schedule, consistently lighting the lamp. Through five regular-season games, Madden has two assists and is tied for third on the team with 11 shots on goal.
Similar to the previous trade, the full return has yet to be determined, but LA Kings Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti has been so good at finding gems in the middle rounds. Kings fans shouldn’t be worried about what yields from the 2022 fourth-round pick.
Perhaps one of the most underrated acquisitions-draft picks was the 2020 second-round pick from Vancouver, which turned out to be none other than…Brock Faber. The 18-year-old looked outstanding in the 2021 World Juniors, recording five assists in seven games in Team USA’s quest for Gold. He’s continuing his development at the University of Minnesota with one goal and five points in 18 games so far.
All signs point to Faber being a top-six defenseman on the right side of the LA Kings defense for a long time.
Conclusion
While the LA Kings sacrificed talent for the next couple of seasons, they acquired talent for the foreseeable future. I’m not 100 percent sold on Trevor Moore yet, but if he continues to play like he has this season, there definitely is a spot for him on the Kings’ fourth line for years to come. Carl Grundstrom has brought an element of physicality that was lost with Clifford, and he currently is second on the team in hits.
Given how deep the LA Kings’ prospect pool is up the middle, it will be interesting to see if Madden sticks at center or eventually moves to the wing. And while they’re still developing, Bjornfot has five NHL games under his belt, Faber has looked outstanding, and Laferriere continues to put up points in the USHL. Add two more draft picks to the Kings’ arsenal, these three trades were pivotal in establishing the rebuild for the next great LA Kings team.