It has been a topic of priority and discussion for the Los Angeles Kings' front office to make a trade move on the block for a roster piece that could be significant for the team in the West early this regular season this fall. The Kings could make a big move, hypothetically, this regular season, to add more scoring punch with the top-six forward core lines.
Big-time trade potential targets like Alex Tuch and Bryan Rust could help hypothetically solve the Los Angeles Kings' scoring woes at the deadline in 2026
In this past couple of weeks for the Kings, the offensive struggles have manifested the losses in the standings in the Pacific Division for the team. The Kings struggled to get multiple goals on the scoreboard in the offensive zone in the past few games for the team in the West this fall.
Finding offensive success and creating consistent scoring chances in the offensive zone have been major issues for the Kings and Hiller early this regular season in the West. This team has found some unlucky fortune early this regular season.
It's very frustrating for the Kings to have these struggles and lack of conversion and execution offensively early this regular season. The Kings have the defensive performances on the blue line and the goaltending has held up this fall for the team.
Here are three early potential trade targets among top-six forwards at the winger position for the Kings to possibly consider going into the trade deadline for 2026.
Alex Tuch, W (Buffalo Sabres)
The Kings have been known to be looking for offensive scoring help with a top-six quality forward who can score goals frequently around the net in the West. If the Buffalo Sabres decide to trade forward Alex Tuch going into the trade deadline for the 2025-26 season next spring in the East, the Kings could be a possible suitor in this hypothetical trade discussion to get a top-six scoring winger for the team.
Hiller and the Kings need to find another impactful source of scoring offensively.
No other significant Sabres' forward has generated as much buzz or energy on the trade block early this regular season this fall as Tuch on the trade market for Buffalo. Since the Sabres are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in the Atlantic Division this fall, Buffalo looks like a seller on the trade block as this season progresses.
Bryan Rust, W (Pittsburgh Penguins)
If the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metro decide to trade a couple of key players on the top-nine forward core group this regular season and go into tank mode in the East, winger Bryant Rust could be an appealing name to hypothetically watch on the trade block among the top forwards to score.
In this past summer in the 2025 offseason, Sonny Sachdeva of Sportsnet named five possible landing spots for Rust on the trade block, including with new general manager Ken Holland and the Kings in the West this regular season.
If Rust is moved potentially this regular season on the trade block in this hypothetical situation in the West, the Kings could be a possible landing spot that makes sense for both sides of this discussion in the league this fall.
Rust could hypothetically fit the system Hiller runs offensively from the winger position with the Kings in the West. He is a strong two-way presence at the wing position with the proven ability to aggressively forecheck and score gritty goals on rebounds around the net in the offensive zone in the playoffs with the Penguins.
Jordan Kyrou, W (St. Louis Blues)
The Kings are in playoff contention in the West in the Pacific Division in the top three in the standings this regular season. Defensive performance on the blue line and high-quality Vezina-type starts from Darcy Kuemper have kept the Kings impactful in the West while the offense can't score the puck in the net consistently.
Among the biggest names gaining attention in various storylines and rumors on the trade block and in the media early this regular season and going into the trade deadline next spring is the St. Louis Blues offensive scoring forward Jordan Kyrou.
Kyrou could be traded hypothetically to a team in the West if he waived his no-trade clause with the Blues this fall to find a spot where he could score consistently as a top-six option winger.
Kyrou's contract would hypothetically fit with the Kings current salary cap situation on the cap sheet this regular season. He's got five years remaining on his current contract, worth a little north of $8 million in average annual value.
He could hypothetically give the Kings a valuable source of top-six goal scoring on the wing this fall in the West. Kyrou could also boost a struggling power play on special teams for the Kings early this regular season in the Pacific Division.