As we inch closer to March 7, it’s getting to that time when trades will begin to happen left, right, and center. Right now is the calm before the storm, where general managers are putting the finishing touches on their approach and ideas, figuring out who or what they want and who or what they are willing to part ways with.
We have already established that the Los Angeles Kings are buyers and what they need to add heading toward the playoffs. General manager Rob Blake hasn’t been known to get his hands all that dirty during this time of the year, but the Kings have played well enough to be rewarded by the front office. Depending on who they acquire, a boost to the offense, especially the power play, as well as some forward depth, could be just the thing that gets the Kings over the hump. They have proven they can compete with the top teams in the league, and for a team that has been eliminated in the first round for three straight seasons, you can bet there’s an extra sense of drive and motivation to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
Related: Los Angeles Kings’ Needs at the 2025 Trade Deadline
There’s no doubt Blake is going to make one, if not a few, moves before the deadline. For a team that’s buying, their biggest assets are draft picks. Most teams that are selling are teams undergoing rebuilds and retools, and the most valuable thing to them is draft picks that give them a chance to make the future brighter. The Kings have a plethora of them. They have their first-round picks for the next three years and their second-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Expect those to be used to make a deal before any roster players unless it becomes a matter of being cap-compliant.
To that point, the other part of it is making the money and roster size work. Impactful, difference-making players like Brock Boeser or Alex Tuch won’t only cost a lot in terms of what a team would need to be willing to give up but also in terms of the contract that comes with them. Money will need to be taken off the books in order to bring on contracts like that.
The question now is, where does each King stand as far as their likelihood to be moved? Are they unlikely to be moved, could be moved, or on the block? With the trade deadline days away, let’s look at which category each Kings player falls under.
Not Going Anywhere
Untouchable is a tough word to use because, at the end of the day, nobody on the Kings is untouchable if the right deal comes along. They don’t have a Connor McDavid, Quinn Hughes, or Nathan MacKinnon on their roster. While no one is untouchable, it’s a pretty safe bet that these guys aren’t going anywhere because they are important, valuable pieces to this team. Some of these contracts are massive as well.
Anze Kopitar (one year remaining, $7 million cap hit – no-move clause; NMC) – 13 goals and 46 points. Leads LA in assists. He’s the captain of this franchise and has brought two Stanley Cups back to the city of Los Angeles; it’s pretty self-explanatory why he’s sticking around.
Adrian Kempe (one year remaining, $5.5 million cap hit – modified no-trade clause; M-NTC) – 26 goals and 49 points. Leads LA in goals. The best, most impactful forward this team has had for years, especially in the playoffs.
Kevin Fiala (four years remaining, $7.875 million cap hit – NMC) – 23 goals and 38 points. Leads LA in power-play goals. The most dynamic and creative forward the Kings have and will be playing a significant role for the foreseeable future.
Quinton Byfield (four years remaining, $6.25 million cap hit) – 11 goals and 34 points. He just signed the extension before this season, and he’s an integral part of the Kings’ center depth not only this season but the face of it moving forward. There have been rumors that Byfield is available, but I would take all of that with a grain of salt. As I said, no one is untouchable, but it’s going to have to take one heck of a deal for the Kings to even consider moving the future of this franchise.
Alex Laferriere (restricted free agent this summer, $875,000 cap hit) – 15 goals and 31 points. Laferriere is the only right-shot forward the Kings have playing on a consistent basis, and he’s shown significant improvement from last season with an increase in production. With the Kings looking to add more scoring on the right side, there is no way Laferriere is going anywhere.
Warren Foegele (two years remaining, $3.5 million cap hit – M-NTC) – 16 goals and 31 points. Foegele was probably the greatest signing of the offseason, based on how he has performed and what his contract looks like. He plays on the penalty kill and the power play and will be a crucial part of the Kings’ playoff run.
Drew Doughty (two years remaining, $11 million cap hit – M-NTC) – four points in eight games played. Just like Kopitar, it’s self-explanatory why he will remain a King. On top of the loads of playoff experience and success he brings, he has a hefty contract at 35 years old.
Mikey Anderson (six years remaining, $4.125 million cap hit) – six goals and 15 points. Leads LA in goals by a defenseman. Anderson’s contract looks fantastic. His shutdown presence is phenomenal; he plays top-pairing minutes and doesn’t struggle at all. He’s worth a lot more than what his contract lists, and for six more years, you can bet the Kings are loving everything about it.
Joel Edmundson (three years remaining, $3.85 million cap hit – M-NTC) – five goals and 14 points. Edmundson signed with the Kings in the offseason and has brought stability and size to the defensive group. Many thought the contract was bad, and while the money is a bit on the higher side, Edmundson has done his job all season. He brings in a ton of veteran presence and has a Stanley Cup to his name.
Darcy Kuemper (two years remaining, $5.25 million cap hit – M-NTC) – .918 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average. Kuemper has been everything the Kings could have asked for and more. He’s been a steady force in between the pipes and has bailed this team out countless times this season. Also, with a Stanley Cup to his name, Kuemper is going to be the anchor the Kings need to find success in the postseason.
Unlikely, But There’s a Chance
It would be shocking to see one of these players moved, but not to the same extent as if one of the players above were traded. It’s safe to bet that these six players will probably still be Kings after March 7, but that’s not to say there isn’t a chance they could be moved.
Alex Turcotte (two years remaining, $775,000 cap hit) – seven goals and 13 points. Turcotte is probably not going anywhere, and his versatility and the number of different ways he can contribute play a big part in that. At center or the wing, defensively minded or creating, Turcotte, in his first full season in the NHL, has been a pleasant surprise. There’s no doubt his ceiling is even higher and that he will continue to get better as the years go by. Turcotte could end up being a pretty big part of this team’s future, so the possibility that he gets traded is very slim.
Phillip Danault (two years remaining, $5.5 million cap hit – M-NTC) – five goals and 25 points. Danault’s production has been underwhelming, but still, it’s his defensive capabilities down the middle that make him valuable. With Danault, the Kings have three centermen who can play a shutdown role, but it also gives them the option to give him and Kopitar the opposition’s top lines while allowing the Byfield line to take advantage offensively.
Tanner Jeannot (unrestricted free agent this summer, $2.665 million cap hit – M-NTC) – five goals and nine points. Jeannot is the one forward the Kings have who plays with that added edge and grit. Jeannot is the type of player you need on your side during playoff hockey. He’s going to lay the body, be able to respond to a hit, fight if needed, and stick up for his teammates. Jeannot was exactly the type of player the Kings were missing in the past.
Vladislav Gavrikov (unrestricted free agent this summer, $5.875 million cap hit – NMC) – three goals and 17 points. Firstly, the only reason Gavrikov is placed in this category is that he is an extremely valuable asset who has yet to sign an extension with the Kings. We know he has an interest in coming back to LA, and there’s no doubt the Kings feel the same way. Sportsnet’s NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Kings aren’t going to demand that Gavrikov signs before the deadline either. The extension is most likely going to get done, no one is worried about that, but the slight chance that something does change between now and March 7 is the only reason he’s in this category.
Brandt Clarke (one year remaining, $863,334 cap hit) – four goals and 21 points. Leads LA in points by a defenseman. Again, the odds that Clarke gets moved are super slim, but there has been some adversity, and it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Clarke this season. Clarke is the best offensive defenseman the Kings have. The development of defenders takes longer due to the extensive responsibility they hold. He is going to struggle defensively and have to adapt and grow as he continues to develop, but the key point here is that no one else can make the same impact Clarke can on the other side of the ice. The only way Clarke gets dealt is if the Kings truly go “all in” and commit to trying to win now, which would be a bad decision.
Wouldn’t Be Surprised If Dealt
Trevor Moore (three years remaining, $4.2 million cap hit) – 10 goals and 25 points. Unfortunately, Moore has been rather disappointing in multiple ways this season. While he has improved as of late, this season has not gone the way Moore or the Kings would have liked. The Kings aren’t losing a whole lot if they decide to move Moore before the deadline, and the upside for other teams that could consider taking him on is that he put up 30 goals last season. He is capable of being a driving offensive force, he just hasn’t been this season.
Jordan Spence (one year remaining, $1.5 million cap hit) – three goals and 17 points. As the season has progressed, so has Spence. The problem here is that the Kings have too many defensemen who can play top-four minutes if Gavrikov does end up signing an extension. The money won’t be a problem to move out, and he holds enough value that the Kings could use him to get that much-needed upgrade offensively. Someone on the back end is moving, and Spence seems like the most logical choice, although he has been great for the Kings.
Akil Thomas (one year remaining, $775,000 cap hit) – one goal and three points. Thomas making the full-time jump to the NHL this season was anticipated by many after being called up late last season and having an immediate impact. It hasn’t gone the same way for him this season, and it sure doesn’t help that he’s playing alongside Trevor Lewis most of the time. An intriguing player like Thomas could potentially sweeten a deal for the Kings.
Jacob Moverare (one year remaining, $775,000 cap hit) – one goal and five points. Moverare has been called up a few times over the years and has been solid. With Doughty injured for most of the season, he got the opportunity to play more consistently and has run with it. Again, it’s hard to believe the defensive core remains the exact same heading into the playoffs, and Moverare could potentially be someone who gets moved.
If There’s a Market
Trevor Lewis (unrestricted free agent this summer, $800,000 cap hit) – four goals and eight points. If the Kings want to put their best lineup into the playoffs, Lewis isn’t a part of it. One of the things the Kings need is a fourth-line center because, unfortunately, Lewis just isn’t able to be that guy anymore. The loyalty the Kings have to Lewis is strong, and with him being an unrestricted free agent this summer, he will probably ride it out as a King.
David Rittich (unrestricted free agent this summer, $1 million cap hit) – .889 save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average. Bringing in another backup goalie wouldn’t hurt the Kings heading into the playoffs. Rittich has been just okay this season, having some terrific nights as well as some pretty awful ones. Kuemper is obviously the number one guy, but if he ends up going down for any reason, I don’t like the Kings’ chances with Rittich as the next guy to fall back on.
Kyle Burroughs (one year remaining, $1.1 million cap hit) – zero goals and two points. I don’t see anyone wanting to take on Burroughs for another year at over a million dollars. Furthermore, the Kings need options on the back end in case of injuries. Burroughs is a seventh or eighth depth defenseman who will probably stick around because of the possibility of injuries in the playoffs.
The anticipation and excitement are real at this time of the year. If things go as expected, changes are imminent. All we can do now is wait for it to unfold and see what those changes are and what Blake and the Kings decide is best.
