LA Kings: Three potential targets leading up to trade deadline
As we near the midway mark of the 2021 season, the LA Kings are still hanging around the West Division playoff race and could seek help.
It’s already been an up-and-down year for the LA Kings, but they’re still within striking distance of a playoff spot in the West Division as they approach the halfway point of this 56-game season.
The Kings are still in a rebuild and not a true Stanley contender yet, but reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and getting their young players some postseason experience would certainly be valuable.
The Kings are not in a position yet where it would make sense to trade high draft picks or top prospects for short-term help. They could, however, take a similar approach to the one they had at the trade deadline back in the 2009-10 season.
With a young LA Kings team was on its way to the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2002, then-GM Dean Lombardi didn’t make any blockbuster additions to a team that wasn’t ready to truly contend but did add some veteran depth pieces in Jeff Halpern and Fredrik Modin to help out with their playoff chase. Modin even ended up contributing three goals in six playoff games.
If Rob Blake does decide to get his team some help, these are a few players he could make some calls about leading up to the April 12th trade deadline.
Eric Staal
The LA Kings could be one of the teams looking to pick at the rotting carcass of the Sabres. We’ve already discussed the possibility of them making a blockbuster trade for Jack Eichel, and Eric Staal is another Sabre who could be of interest to them.
Staal hasn’t had a great season in Buffalo, having scored just three goals and eight points in 22 games so far, but, well, it’s Buffalo. No one’s really been thriving there these days. The 36-year-old Staal had a very solid season for the Minnesota Wild just last year, scoring 47 points in 66 regular-season games as well as five in four playoff games.
He’s on an expiring contract, and likely doesn’t fit into the Sabres’ plans going forward, so he seems like a strong bet to be moved prior to the deadline. Staal can play center or wing, and he seems like a good option for the Kings if they’re looking to add some scoring depth at a low price.
Taylor Hall
Ok, so this is maybe a bigger name than you expected to see on this list. But it would at least be worth having a discussion with the Sabres about Taylor Hall, too.
The 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner surprised everyone when he signed a one-year contract with the Sabres. He was betting on having a strong year playing next to Eichel, returning to his MVP form, and then cashing in when he returned to free agency, but, again, few things have gone according to plan with this team.
Hall has just two goals and 14 points in 23 games this season. The fit hasn’t been what anyone hoped, it’s hard to imagine there’s mutual interest in continuing this partnership beyond this season, and the Sabres are already well out of the playoff race in the East Division.
So if the Sabres are looking to move on from Hall and his market is depressed due to the disappointing season he’s had so far, is it possible the price tag on him could be low enough that it would make sense for LA? It’s at least worth asking. Hall is still a major talent, and this could be a good buy-low opportunity.
Mikael Granlund
A consistent contender in recent years, the Predators’ window looks like it may have closed. They’ve fallen well behind the pack in the Central Division, and there’s talk that they may be close to deciding it’s time for a rebuild.
No matter how much the Predators decide to tear down their current roster, Mikael Granlund is a pending unrestricted free agent who will likely be available. In 221 regular-season games for the Wild from the 2016-17 to 2018-19 seasons, Granlund scored 187 points, but he hasn’t been the same player since being traded to the Preds. He’s still just 29 years old, though, and looks like someone who might benefit from a change of scenery.
Like Staal and Hall, Granlund isn’t someone the Kings would be committing to beyond this season, and also, like them, he presents an intriguing buy-low opportunity. While the Kings aren’t likely to be significant buyers this year, players like these still offer them a chance to improve their chances this year without sacrificing anything significant for the future.