Adding a quality top-line center in the middle of the lineup is a clear priority this summer for general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings' front office.
The retirement of center captain Anze Kopitar has left a gaping hole in the middle of the roster lineup for Holland and the Kings to fill this offseason. And with how dry the unrestricted free agent market is this summer at the center position, it looks like it may be smarter for Holland and the Kings to look at making a trade on the trade block to fill that roster need.
The real question isn't whether the Kings need a center. The real question is how aggressive Holland is willing to be to acquire one. If the right player at the center position is available on the trade block for the Kings this offseason, Holland should move quickly to inquire about that player.
The Los Angeles Kings' biggest offseason need has been obvious since Anze Kopitar retired
Bleacher Report mentioned in a piece this past week that the one move that the Kings must make this offseason is to "trade for a center".
Finding a center is about more than simply replacing Kopitar's spot in the lineup. The Kings need another player capable of driving offense, matching up against top competition, and helping elevate the players around him. Asking Byfield to immediately fill all of those responsibilities would be a significant gamble for a team that still believes it can contend in the Western Conference.
Bleacher Report also hinted that the Kings could rely on Quinton Byfield to handle top-line center duties next season. While Byfield remains an important part of the franchise's future, asking him to immediately replace Kopitar as the team's No. 1 center would be a significant risk. That's why many Kings fans and analysts continue to view the addition of another proven center as one of the organization's biggest priorities this summer.
Several centers have already been linked to the Kings in offseason speculation, including New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier and New York Rangers veteran Vincent Trocheck.
This piece from Bleacher Report also pitched the possibility that the Kings could trade for Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly.
Hischier would provide a long-term solution in his prime, while Trocheck and O'Reilly would offer veteran experience and immediate stability down the middle.
Whether the answer comes through a blockbuster trade or a smaller veteran acquisition, Los Angeles needs more certainty at center than it currently has on the roster heading into training camp.
How Holland addresses the center position could ultimately define the Kings' entire offseason. Los Angeles has enough talent to remain a playoff contender, but replacing the leadership, production, and two-way impact Kopitar provided for nearly two decades will be one of the organization's most difficult challenges.
Bleacher Report may have stated the obvious, but that doesn't make the point any less important. If the Kings fail to address center depth this offseason, it will be difficult to view the summer as a success regardless of what happens elsewhere on the roster.
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