LA Kings: Three RFA forwards to consider trading for
If the LA Kings wish to acquire a younger forward, they will need to target a restricted free agent. Here are three players to consider.
A young, unrestricted free agent forward would be the ideal player to target this offseason, but the fact of the matter is that players don’t hit UFA status until their late 20s. If the LA Kings are targeting players in the mid or early 20s, they’ll have to pursue a restricted free agent.
With the team reportedly in the market for two top-six forwards, here are three RFA forwards to target in trades.
1. Conor Garland
Garland should be atop the Kings wishlist this offseason. With the Coyotes hurting for draft picks and their reported “desire for different,” leave no stone unturned with that team. And don’t forget that Garland was on the trade block at the deadline, but he was never dealt.
Trevor Moore and Conor Garland just spent an entire tournament playing on the same line for Team USA in the World Championships. The duo accounted for 11 goals and 11 assists in ten games. Garland, 25, aligns with the age bracket that general manager Rob Blake is targeting.
He matched his point total (39) from last season in 19 fewer games during the 2021 campaign. Garland is a competent two-way forward, but his defensive metrics dropped considerably in the shortened 2021 season. Still, he has accounted for an impressive 57.3 CorsiFor percentage through his first three seasons.
2. Anthony Beauvillier
The former 28th overall pick in 2015 has scored at least 15 goals in the last four seasons. He accumulated a career-best 39 points during the 2019-20 campaign. It will be interesting to see which players the Islanders prioritize in free agency, with a projected cap space around $16.6M.
As alluded to, they have a number of players to make decisions on, including potentially re-signing Kyle Palmieri. Other notable RFA’s for the Isles include Adam Pelech and 25-year-old netminder Ilya Sorokin. Can they get it all done within their available cap space, or will something have to give?
Beauvillier’s defense has improved in each of the last three seasons, while his finishing ability took an enormous leap forward this past season. The graphic below indicates he’s a fourth-liner, but he primarily played top-six forward minutes with the Islanders in 2021, including both winger positions.
He accumulated 15 goals and 13 assists in the 2021 season with a quality of teammates metric in the 14th percentile. Get him on a line with Anze Kopitar, and watch his numbers skyrocket. For what it’s worth, Evolving Hockey projects his next contract to be a two-year deal at a $3.73M AAV – perhaps setting up a sign and trade scenario?
3. Sam Reinhart
It’s not the first time we’ve mentioned Sam Reinhart as a potential fit for the LA Kings’ top-six forwards, nor will it be the last. The Sabres are potentially open for business this offseason, with the headliner, of course, in Jack Eichel.
While Buffalo continues to hover in the basement of the NHL, Sam Reinhart took his game to another level in 2021. He led the team in points (40), broken down into 25 goals and 15 assists on a team that landed that number one overall pick in the upcoming draft.
You’d like to see his powerplay metrics be a little better, but perhaps that’s something that improves with a change of scenery. Of course, the Kings had their own struggles on the man advantage, especially in the second half of the 2021 campaign, but the addition of better players should help to improve that.
Reinhart is projected to fetch a five-year contract at a $6.95M AAV, and the Kings can fit that contract into their salary cap space and then some. Especially with Dustin Brown coming off the books after next season, now is the time to pursue players like Reinhart.
