General manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings were very busy on the opening day of the free agent cycle this offseason this past Wednesday. The Kings signed a half-dozen players off the free agent market to add more depth and experience at key positions on the roster for this upcoming season.
It feels like there are still a couple of roster needs that the Kings must address for new head coach Peter Laviolette and staff going into this upcoming season and before the start of training camp and the preseason this fall.
With only a few million dollars left in projected cap space this offseason, the Kings don't have much cap flexibility for more signings.
Los Angeles Kings still have room for another impactful addition despite limited salary-cap flexibility
For the Kings to make more depth signings or to try to upgrade the roster lineup for Laviolette and staff this upcoming season, Holland will have to continue to be creative in free agency and the trade market to retool and move pieces around.
Here's a prediction of the next free-agent signing for the Kings after a busy Day 1 earlier this week after the opening of the unrestricted free agent window.
Nick Blankenburg, D
If the Kings wanted to add another defenseman on a cheaper contract deal with some offensive upside on the blue line, look no further than the former Nashville Predator and Colorado Avalanche blue-liner Nick Blankenburg.
Blankenburg is a right-handed shot, which isn't necessarily what the Kings are looking for to address the need on the blue line this offseason. But he is still a productive defender with real upside in the offensive zone and good skating ability in transition and with the puck on his stick.
If the Kings could hypothetically sign Blankenburg to a low risk and affordable short-term contract, he could give the blue line another mobile defenseman with offensive upside who fits well in the bottom four group.
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