It has been a known priority for new general manager Ken Holland and the Los Angeles Kings to fill a positional need with a top-six scoring winger with the forward core lines for this season in the West. The Kings are one of the better teams in the league in the NHL on the defensive side of the ice, and with reigning Vezina Trophy finalist and starting goalie Darcy Kuemper in net for LA.
What would it take for the Los Angeles Kings to get winger Andrei Svechnikov in a hypothetical trade from the Carolina Hurricanes?
Despite that, the Kings rank among the bottom five teams in the Western Conference early this regular season in goals scored (59).
The good results on the defensive end of the ice for the Kings and head coach Jim Hiller haven't gotten the team where they want to be in the standings in the West and in the Pacific Division this fall. The Kings need to add some scoring boost to their top six forward lines this regular season this fall.
One option that was pitched recently for the Kings among hypothetical potential trade targets this fall around the league is Carolina Hurricanes 25-year-old winger Andrei Svechnikov.
Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend on Nov. 22 that Svechnikov is unhappy with his ice time and how things have gone with the Hurricanes offensively early this regular season in the East.
But Svechnikov has started to find a better groove scoring the puck for the Hurricanes in the past few weeks this fall. In the month of November, Svechnikov has scored five goals and nine total points in a dozen games for the Hurricanes this regular season.
It's noteworthy that Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky reportedly isn't wanting to think about moving Svechnikov soon without a huge offer in return on the trade market for Carolina.
Svechnikov could potentially fill the need the Kings have on the top six forward lines to add a scoring boost and a power forward in the West. He is a five-time 20-goal scorer, and he's already netted over 150 career goals in just seven seasons in the league in the NHL.
He also could help the Kings on the power play on special teams. Svechnikov scored double-digit goals on the power play for the Hurricanes this past season in the East.
Devin Fenwick of The Hockey News writes that while Svechnikov is a high-scoring power forward who would be an appealing trade target hypothetically on the trade block this year, it's "unlikely" that the Hurricanes move him this regular season in the 2025-26 campaign.
First, it doesn't seem like the Canes want to deal Svechnikov, unless his production really slips this regular season for Carolina in the East and in the Metro Division. Head coach Rod Brind'Amour and the Hurricanes rank at the top of the standings in the Eastern Conference early this regular season.
Also, the Hurricanes have started scoring the puck more often in road games early this regular season with the top six forward lines.
That said, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Svechnikov would be traded hypothetically from the Hurricanes in Carolina if Brind'Amour's squad falls short of making it to the Stanley Cup Finals from the Eastern Conference next year in 2026.