One of the first big moves for Ken Holland as general manager of the Los Angeles Kings is coming up next week with the 2025 NHL Draft. The Kings will have some decisions to make leading up to next Friday and one of those is whether or not to trade their first-round pick to potentially add a player that can help now.
There is plenty of pros and cons when it comes to the Kings including their best draft pick in a trade package and these are some of the things that Holland will have to consider.
Pro: It will help them add a player who can help them win next season
Let's start with the obvious pro, and probably the biggest reason to include their first round pick, and that is that the Kings can package it with players to potentially make a big trade. There are a number of players who are rumored to be available that can be a difference maker for this roster.
The Kings need to get past the first round of the playoffs next season and a player like JJ Peterka or Jason Robertson could certainly help them get closer to achieving that goal.
Pro: The Los Angeles Kings' pick is in back half of the first round
The Los Angeles Kings currently have the 24th overall pick in the first round and being in the back half of the NHL Draft makes it tougher to find top prospects. The Kings did it last year with Liam Greentree so it isn't impossible but carries more risk than having one of the top picks.
There is no question that if the Kings had a pick earlier in the first round of the NHL Draft, it would have more value and could bring more of a return. However, for a team looking to rebuild, they can increase their chances of finding good players by adding more picks.
Con: The Los Angeles Kings have a weak prospect group already
The Los Angeles Kings currently have a shallow prospect pool, and there aren't many players who appear NHL-ready outside of perhaps Erik Portillo. This doesn't mean they don't have good players and someone like Liam Greentree should be an excellent player once he gets to the NHL.
If the Kings were to trade away their first round pick, they are going to really limit their chances of adding top-tier prospect.
Con: The Los Angeles Kings are without their second-round pick
In addition to being without their first-round pick if they were to include it in a trade, the Kings already don't have their second-round pick for this year's NHL Draft. The reason is that they included it in a trade during the NHL Draft last year to acquire Tanner Jeannot.
The fact that they may not pick until the third round might not be Ken Holland's ideal plan for the NHL Draft and this might be enough reason to keep the pick this year.
There is no question that the Kings will struggle to improve a prospect group that is already limited with NHL-caliber prospects but for a team that has made it a clear goal to compete for a Stanley Cup now, trading away their first-round pick would help them improve their chances of achieving that.