LA Kings: A tiered approach of left wingers to trade for this offseason

The LA Kings appear intent on adding legitimate scoring in the form of a top-six winger in the offseason. These players should be trade targets.

Once the free agency period officially opens up on July 28, it will be open season for Rob Blake. The LA Kings general manager made it clear that the team will have an appropriate response to Drew Doughty’s call for the team to make some splash moves this offseason.

We recently spoke with The Fourth Period‘s David Pagnotta on the podcast, and he indicated the Kings are more likely to make a trade for scoring than sign a free agent. You can check out the full podcast below or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

So when the Free Agency Frenzy period opens, the Kings should target these left-wingers in a trade, to some aspect.

Tier 1 – Realistic

Filip Forsberg

Subject to trade rumors at the deadline, Filip Forsberg and the Predators could soon be headed for a divorce. What perfect timing for the LA Kings to swoop in and grab a perennial 20+ goal scorer in non-COVID seasons. The 26-year-old has one year left on his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent, so there would have to be some level of certainty of a long-term extension if acquired.

With approximately $17M in cap space this offseason, the Predators have a number of free agents to address. At a $6M cap hit, Forsberg could find himself in another uniform next season, preferably in Los Angeles.

Ondrej Palat

Palat could be a cap casualty for the cash-strapped Lightning this offseason, and the LA Kings could grab themselves a player who just tallied 15 goals and 31 assists in 55 games. He’s an underrated asset on the man advantage, scoring seven goals with 13 assists this past season.

Palat has one year left on his deal before becoming a UFA, so see previous text on acquiring an impending UFA. He can score, is an asset on the powerplay, and a great puck possession forward – areas where the Kings need to improve.