The Los Angeles Kings sit comfortably in a playoff spot after the trade deadline, but their positioning has varied for the past few months. Now sitting third in the Pacific Division, they are just three points back of the Edmonton Oilers and two points ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights. Predicting how the season will unfold is always a tall order, but if things do not go the Kings’ way, this week will be heavily scrutinized.
Kings Falling Behind After Quiet Deadline?
The Kings were in the news this entire week, with outrageous rumors of potentially shipping out Pierre-Luc Dubois and reuniting with Tyler Toffoli. However, they walked away empty-handed, being one of just two teams to not make any trades. The other team is the New York Islanders, who similarly sit amid the playoff and wild card race in the opposing conference. For the Kings especially, the lack of moves may be costly.
The two teams who will have the biggest impact on their seeding will be the Golden Knights and Oilers, and both of them made big moves. Edmonton brought in Adam Henrique (among others) bolstering their forward core. Vegas was the talk of the deadline, bringing in Noah Hanifin, Anthony Mantha, and Tomas Hertl. There is no doubt now that the reigning Stanley Cup champions will be a powerhouse come the playoffs, so how can the Kings keep up?
Related: What’s Behind the Los Angeles Kings’ Recent Hot Streak?
It is easy to look at why the Kings will fall behind, but keep in mind that they currently sit ahead of Vegas for a reason. They have won 10 of their past 15 games, including wins over the Oilers, Boston Bruins, and Vancouver Canucks. The forward core has been dominant, the defense looks as sharp as ever, and they are getting consistent goaltending. If this play keeps up, they can beat anyone, including the powerhouse Golden Knights. However, that is a giant if.
Kings Miss Out On Linus Ullmark
Linus Ullmark is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner on the resigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins. Typically, a player like this would be off-limits, but Ullmark was not. No team was as aggressive as the Kings, who reportedly had an agreed offer for Ullmark before he invoked his modified no-trade clause to shut the trade down. Kevin Weekes on ESPN The Point said that “there was a deal that [Ullmark] essentially nixed, in large part based on geography.” What could have been a massive move amidst a crazy trade deadline will forever remain a “what-could-have-been” for Kings fans, who now will rely on their goaltending tandem of Cam Talbot and David Rittich in their playoff run.
In a press conference following the deadline, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney “declined to answer if Linus Ullmark invoked his no-trade protection,” signifying there is likely some merit to Weekes’ report. Ullmark would have been instrumental to the Kings’ playoff push, but also would have come at a hefty price.
The Kings’ most recent first-round selection was Brandt Clarke in the 2021 NHL draft, so holding onto their first-round selection this season is wise. As well, the team has been great as of late, so trusting the core instead of changing things up may be what is best. Most importantly, their goaltending has been at the top of the league as of late, so adding Ullmark could have done more harm than good.
While it is crazy to say adding the reigning Vezina Winner would not have been ideal, it could have come at the cost of a core player. Waiting for more clarity until the summer will allow the Kings to reassess and more accurately decide how they want to move forward with their netminders.
One of the craziest and most fun trade deadlines in recent memory has now come to an end, but the best part is only beginning. New players on top teams will make for a fun final stretch for hockey fans and will lead to even better playoff games. For Kings fans, they may feel down right now, but they are far from out, and the current core should be a big reason for optimism.