The Los Angeles Kings have been involved in many conversations and rumors regarding potentially making a move on the trade market this regular season before the trade deadline next spring. LA has a good amount of cap room available on the cap sheet this season to make a big move before the trade deadline.
The Hockey News writer tosses out the Los Angeles Kings as a viable potential destination for Steven Stamkos in a trade deal this season
This comes after the Kings and new general manager Ken Holland made multiple moves in free agency this past summer in the 2025 offseason to add more proven experience and physicality up front for the forward lines and the blue line.
The Kings look to be in pretty good shape in the standings in the Pacific Division in the West early this regular season. Jim Hiller and the Kings only have a handful of regulation losses, and the team sits in the top three in the division standings in the Pacific in the West after the season's first dozen games.
Hitting the trade market would be a good use of the Kings' remaining cap space to help upgrade the roster and be more competitive in the West this upcoming postseason on the offensive end of the rink.
One name that was recently floated as a potential trade target hypothetically for the Kings this season in the West is Nashville Predators' 35-year-old forward Steven Stamkos. The Kings have the cap room and the need to add a potent top-six scoring forward to the roster lines up front this regular season to potentially target a forward like Stamkos before the deadline.
The Kings also have the trade chips necessary before draft picks and the minor league and development system with the prospect pool to potentially make a trade package put together for Stamkos.
Andre Leal of The Hockey News pitched the idea of the Kings pursuing Stamkos and the Predators on the trade block this season to fill a scoring need with the top-six forward group for LA.
This is probably a realistic trade for the Kings to pull off. But there are some big risks that come with trading for an aging and almost 36-year-old star who has a hefty contract from the Predators in Nashville this season.
First, Stamkos hasn't played up to his ability offensively and on the stat sheet in the past couple of seasons in Nashville. He only has one goal and two total points in the season's first dozen games this fall for the Preds.
A scene change for Stamkos could be beneficial to him, since he's only scored 28 goals in the past over 80 games in Nashville.
Stamkos has three years remaining on a contract that would cost the Kings over $8 million in cap space in average annual cap hit value. That is a big cost for the Kings to take on if the team doesn't feel he provides the necessary return to get this team over the hump in the postseason in the playoffs next year.