We are now just three days away from the 2025 Trade Deadline, and deals have started to get done. The Los Angeles Kings have yet to make a move, although there’s still loads of time for that to happen. While deals surrounding the Kings haven’t gone through yet, rumors certainly have.
The Kings are supposedly the most likely team to land forward Mikko Rantanen if the Hurricanes decide to shop him before the deadline. Every day, there seems to be something different regarding Quinton Byfield and whether or not he’s available. Brandt Clarke’s situation and future with the team are still unclear, even though it’s a no-brainer that he shouldn’t be made available.
Right now, anything and everything could happen involving the Kings, and there’s been nothing out there to make us think otherwise. For all we know, a major shake-up could be on its way.
Aside from the wild and extreme moves that could potentially happen over the next few days, the Kings have three areas in which they need to improve before the playoffs. They need a right-shot scoring forward, fourth-line center, and backup goaltender if they want to give themselves their best shot at finding some playoff success.
Related: Los Angeles Kings Trade Tiers: Where Does Each King Stand Ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline?
Cap space also plays an important role in the process of acquiring new players, and according to PuckPedia, the Kings currently have a little over $4.4 million in cap space to use before the deadline. It’s been reported that they are willing to move their first-round pick in this summer’s draft, which is going to play a key role in landing some of these high-end players.
Right-Shot Scoring Forward
Adding a player who can put the puck in the net is the most important thing for the Kings right now. Furthermore, they need an impactful forward who is a right shot. Alex Laferriere being the only right-shot winger in his second season in the NHL is not enough, especially heading into the playoffs. The power play is in desperate need of some juice as well, as it ranks third worst in the NHL, operating at just 15.2 percent. Here are five players who could help bolster the Kings’ scoring ability.
Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres, RW
Cap hit: $4.8 million (one year remaining)
Stats: 22 goals and 46 points through 58 games
Alex Tuch is one of the few players the Kings have been linked to over the past couple of weeks, and for good reason. The 28-year-old is a known point producer, having scored 20 goals in four seasons throughout his career, and is on pace to score 30-plus goals for the second time. His ability to drive the play in multiple ways is what makes him so effective. At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, he is a big, strong power forward with an elite shot. Speed is another strong element of his game, and that combination allows him to be dangerous when driving to the net. He currently plays on the first power play unit with the Sabres and has scored six times this season (he would have the second most PPG on the Kings). Having Tuch for an additional year is a plus, but it also means he is going to cost more, not to mention needing to clear up some cap space for his contract to fit. There’s no doubt that Tuch improves the Kings, especially on the power play, but it all comes down to what the ask is and if that ask is worth it.
Morgan Geekie, Boston Bruins, RW/C
Cap hit: $2 million (restricted free agent this summer)
Stats: 19 goals and 32 points through 57 games
Morgan Geekie would almost be the perfect addition for the Kings and a player that could remain in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. It’s unclear whether or not the Boston Bruins are willing to take calls on him, but if he is made available, the Kings need to be all over it. He has broken out this season, already tallying a career high in goals as well as being on pace to hit 40 points for the first time. Geekie gives the Kings some different options, as he can play both center or right wing.
Currently playing on the Bruins’ first line alongside Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak, Geekie could be the perfect fit alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe and possibly give them a consistent linemate they can’t seem to find with anyone on the current roster. He centers the second power play unit for the Bruins and has tallied three PPG so far. What makes him even more desirable is his cap hit. At $2 million, the Kings wouldn’t need to shuffle anything around in order to make the money work. Furthermore, he is just 26 years old, but understand that it’s going to take a pretty good offer for the Bruins to be willing to part with him.
Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks, RW
Cap hit: $6.65 million (unrestricted free agent this summer)
Stats: 18 goals and 36 points through 53 games
As far as “pure goal scorer” goes, Brock Boeser is the best option any team could add at the deadline. The Canucks gave him an extension offer earlier on in the season but that offer is now reportedly off the table, meaning the Canucks have two decisions. One is to keep him until the end of the season, push for a playoff spot, and see what they can do in the postseason. The other is to deal him before the deadline and get some value back instead of losing him for nothing. Obviously, possible trades are being explored, and the Kings should be one of the teams inquiring. The Kings need scoring, and they need power play help, and Boeser is the perfect player to boost both of those areas. Don’t look at his stats this season, the Canucks have been a complete disaster and there’s no telling how messed up that locker room has been this season.
Boeser is a former 40-goal scorer and is about to hit 20 goals for the sixth time. 16 of his 40 goals last season came on the power play, and he has seven PPG this season, which is just one less than what Kings’ PPG leader Kevin Fiala has. Boeser’s lethal shot and ability to find the net on the man advantage from that left side is exactly the type of danger the Kings are missing. Any deal that involves Boeser will, without a doubt, include a first-round pick. The other thing is that bringing on a cap hit of $6.65 million means that someone on the roster will need to go to clear up space. That may work in favor of the Kings as the Canucks aren’t a rebuilding team. They aren’t looking to sell off key players just for draft picks. With the Kings needing to clear cap and the Canucks most likely wanting a player back in return, a deal may be more possible than it looks. Regardless of whether it’s before the deadline or in the summer, Boeser should be the Kings’ number one target.
Rickard Rakell, Pittsburgh Penguins, RW
Cap hit: $5 million (three years remaining)
Stats: 28 goals and 52 points through 62 games
Rickard Rakell is a player the Kings are all too familiar with, as he spent 10 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. He’s another right shot forward who scores goals and is having a terrific season with the Penguins, especially as of late. Rakell has put up 30-plus goals twice in his career and is two goals away from making it three times, and he has collected 26 power-play goals in the past five seasons.
The one thing about Rakell that might make the Kings think twice is the fact that he’s 31 years old and is carrying a cap hit of $5 million for the next three seasons. While that’s not the best situation to be in, the cap is going to continue to increase, which won’t make Rakell’s contract all that impactful. That also means Rakell won’t just be a rental, and the Kings would probably get one or possibly two more seasons of decent production out of him. Out of anyone on this list, Rakell has had the most production this season, and he’s doing it while being on an old, below-average Penguins team. If Boeser seems improbable, Rakell should be the next player up for the Kings.
Kyle Palmieri, New York Islanders, RW
Cap hit: $5 million (unrestricted free agent this summer)
Stats: 19 goals and 40 points through 59 games
When looking at which right shot forward would be the best addition, Kyle Palmieri is probably the last one on this list because of his age and cap hit. Still, at 34 years old, Palmieri would have the third most goals on the Kings. That’s how desperate this team is for some goal-scoring. Trading assets for a 34-year-old who carries a $5 million cap hit doesn’t scream great deal, but the truth is, he is going to be cheaper than any other player on this list. The cost to acquire Palmieri will be the cheapest, but he’s also going to make the least amount of impact. He has a knack for getting to the front of the net and scoring goals, which could work well with the Kings’ love for generating offense from the point, but he’s not going to give the Kings that scoring threat on the power play they need. If the Kings can’t get a hold of anyone else, Palmieri is still a decent option who can provide some boost to the offense.
Center Depth
Aside from scoring, rounding out the center depth and having a younger, faster player come in and replace Trevor Lewis is the other big area the Kings need to be looking at. Lewis’ best days are behind him, and he doesn’t have what it takes to keep up with the pace at 38 years old. Playoff hockey is only going to become more taxing on Lewis, and that’s not something the Kings can afford. Here are three centermen the Kings could look to add to strengthen their depth down the middle.
Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks, C
Cap hit: $2 million (unrestricted free agent this summer)
Stats: 21 goals and 43 points through 58 games
Ryan Donato not only brings in that scoring touch, but he would also give the Kings some spectacular center depth. It would be shocking to see the Chicago Blackhawks keep Donato past the deadline, considering the production he has had this season, as well as the fact that he becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the summer. At just $2 million, he is worth every bit of that based on what he has shown this season with a struggling Blackhawks squad. Multiple teams are going to be in on Donato, meaning the price to acquire him might be higher than expected, and whoever makes the best offer wins. A second-round pick seems like the most reasonable ask for Donato, and that could make things a little more difficult for the Kings, as they used their 2025 second-round pick to acquire Tanner Jeannot.
Jake Evans, Montreal Canadiens, C
Cap hit: $1.7 million (unrestricted free agent)
Stats: 12 goals and 28 points through 60 games
Jake Evans is 28 years old and brings in a ton of speed. The three competent centers the Kings have are all left-handed, and adding Evans would give them a reliable right-shot center. Evans is known for exceptional penalty killing, and he could easily come in right away and give the Kings another option in that department. Evans’ cap hit makes him even more desirable, the only thing is that the Canadiens have set a minimum price for Evans, which is a second-round pick. Who knows if the Canadiens want a 2025 second-round pick or would be fine with one in 2026 or 2027? Another thing to mention is that this year’s draft class is supposedly a weaker one, meaning teams might prefer a 2026 or 2027 draft pick as opposed to a 2025, which could work out in the Kings’ favor.
Evans is also a one-of-a-kind player based on contract size, handedness, and age. There’s no one else under 30 years old who is making less than $2 million and is a right shot that is listed on TSN’S Trade Bait Board, which could lead to the conclusion that there are going to be a decent amount of teams checking in on him. If the Kings were to acquire Evans, there’s no reason to believe that they wouldn’t want to re-sign him. Evans could play a key depth role for the Kings for the next few seasons. As far as center depth goes, Evans should be the number one target.
Trent Frederic, Boston Bruins, C
Cap hit: $2.3 million (unrestricted free agent this summer)
Stats: 8 goals and 15 points through 57 games
Physicality, grit, and the willingness to play an uncomfortable game are all things that go a long way during playoff hockey, and Trent Frederic plays with all three of them. Outside of Jeannot, the Kings don’t have a forward like that who is willing to throw around the body and be a physical presence every time he steps out onto the ice. Frederic has recorded 155 hits so far this season, which is the 22nd most out of all forwards. Jeannot has landed 175 hits, which is the 13th most, and to think of the damage Frederic and Jeannot could do on a line together in terms of wearing down the opposition is intriguing.
Frederic isn’t someone who is going to move the needle in terms of offensive production, but that’s not what the Kings need from him. Even though that’s not his strong suit, Frederic has put up 30-plus points in back-to-back seasons. At 27 years old, Frederic is in his prime years, and a $2.3 million cap hit is workable, depending on what other moves the Kings decide to make. The cost to acquire Frederic can’t be more than a second-round pick if that, considering his major dip in production from last season, where he put up 40 points.
Backup Goaltender
Darcy Kuemper will be the one between the pipes in the playoffs. He has been solid, and there isn’t any reason to believe that he doesn’t have what it takes to lock it down in the postseason. The question mark that has become more and more worrisome as of late is backup goaltender David Rittich. If anything were to happen to Kuemper at any point during the Kings’ playoff run, the confidence in Rittich to be able to step up to the plate and be reliable is very minimal. We saw it last year when Cam Talbot struggled, and they turned to Rittich as a “last hope”. It didn’t work out too well as Rittich lost both of the games he started, posting an .872 save percentage. Rittich hasn’t given us any reason to believe this year would be any different; in fact, his regular season numbers have dropped off a fair bit from last season. Here are two goaltenders the Kings could look to add that would be an upgrade from Rittich.
Dan Vladar, Calgary Flames, G
Cap hit: $2.2 million (unrestricted free agent this summer)
Stats: .894 save percentage and 2.98 goals-against average through 24 games
Dan Vladar has been a reliable backup for the Flames this season, and even though his numbers aren’t all that appealing and his save percentage is slightly worse than Rittich’s, it’s important to note the difference in the teams each one is playing on. The Flames get peppered almost every game. They give up tons of shots (ninth most shots against per game in the NHL), which is the complete opposite of the Kings. The Flames have relied on their goaltending all season long to be in the position that they are in right now competing for a playoff spot and even though Dustin Wolf is the main reason for their success, Vladar has had is fair share of moments in which he has kept the Flames in games (most recently against the Florida Panthers where he made 39 saves). Vladar has been left out to dry a lot, and while he does have his mishaps, him playing behind a stingy Kings defense would work out just fine.
Jonathan Quick, New York Rangers, G
Cap hit: $1.275 million (unrestricted free agent this summer)
Stats: .903 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average through 20 games
Three years later, it’s still shocking that Jonathan Quick isn’t a King. The 39-year-old has given the Kings a big fat middle finger after being traded, winning a Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 and continuing to show the league he’s still “got it” like he did on Sunday night (March 2), recording a shutout in his 800th career game. Playoff Quick is a different beast, and with the way he’s playing this season, who’s to say the one who has always performed under pressure won’t be able to do it again if called upon?
With Quick being 39, the possibility he retires either after this season or the next is pretty big, and with him being a UFA this summer, there wouldn’t need to be any strings attached unless the Kings decided to bring him back. He’s cheap, he’s the greatest goaltender this franchise has ever had, and at his age, he’s blowing Rittich out of the water when you look at the numbers. Let’s be honest; who doesn’t want to see the return of Quick in Los Angeles and the possibility of him retiring as a King? Now, there’s obviously an elephant in the room and possibly some grudges still present with how his departure from LA went, and there’s a chance Quick wouldn’t want to return to LA under the same management group after how he was treated. But if he’s on board with it, bringing Quick back to LA for one final run at it alongside Kopitar and Drew Doughty would be one of the greatest endings.
General manager Rob Blake has a lot of work to do in the next three days if he wants to give his team the best chance at winning a playoff series for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014.
