LA Kings: Three defenders on Carolina Hurricanes to target in trades
By Ryan Sikes
1. Jaccob Slavin
Slavin is signed through the 2024-2025 season and would be the biggest ask for the LA Kings to upgrade the left side of their defense. At 26 years of age, he’s right in the wheelhouse of what Rob Blake is looking for, scoring a career-high 36 points in 68 games last season.
More of a facilitator than a pure shooter, Slavin racked up 30 assists last season and already has seven in 23 games this season. While he’s not involved as much on the powerplay unit as he was in the 18-19 season when he tallied five goals on the man advantage, he’s consistently in the conversation for the Norris Trophy.
Slavin isn’t the most physical defenseman in the NHL, but he’s a terrific shot-blocker, getting in the way of on average 135 shots over the previous five seasons. He comes at a $5.3M cap hit for four more years after this season, which is great value considering how much Drew Doughty is paid.
