The 2023-24 season has seen lots of shakeups in the Western Conference standings. This is seen no better than with the horrific start the Edmonton Oilers had when they started the season as one of the worst teams in hockey. However, since December, they have been one of the best and now sit comfortably in a playoff spot. For the Los Angeles Kings, it has been the complete opposite.
The Kings were once one of the best teams in hockey, starting 16-4-3. Since then, they have fallen into the wild card race and fired their head coach. However, there is a lot to be happy about. Not only was that a phenomenal start, but they were also not expected to be Stanley Cup favorites this season. Let us not forget that just a few seasons ago, they sat at the bottom of the league amid a rebuild. With such a young roster, any experience right now is vital, and adding a big name is not what will take this roster to the next level.
Goaltending Struggles
To avoid a major move is not saying that this team would not stand to benefit from one, especially in the net. Facilitating a trade would no doubt take this roster to the next level, and put them in the upper echelon of Stanley Cup favorites in the Western Conference. However, any move would need to be done meticulously navigating the salary cap and future draft capital.
The team has not had a selection in the top 50 since the 2021 NHL Entry Draft where they selected Brandt Clarke eighth overall. Making it three years since a top-50 selection will hurt any hockey team, especially one that is not in an all-in mindset. For teams such as the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights, it would make sense to move out a first-round selection since they could be nearing the end of their prime windows. However, the Kings are only now entering theirs.
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While the Kings have plenty of youth, they no longer have a top prospect. With Clarke now in the NHL, few recognizable names have recently been drafted. So holding onto their selection in a year that could see some top talent slip into the second half of the first round would go a long way in improving their farm system. Additionally, this summer they could move future draft capital to fill in their holes, better aligning with their contending window.
Salary Concerns
While the Kings may have the assets to make a big move, they will also have to ship out salaries to facilitate any trade for a bigger name. While a trade for Juuse Saros would be great for this team in the short and long term, it would likely cost some vital assets, such as Matt Roy or potentially Quinton Byfield.
With a projected $2-3 million in cap space at the deadline, there are very few options that could help this while being obtainable under the cap. Acquiring a goaltender such as Charlie Lindgren of the Washington Capitals may work because he makes just $1.1 million through the 2024-25 season. However, he too has shown weaknesses similar to those of current Kings’ goaltenders Cam Talbot and David Rittich. Most recently, Lindgren gave up eight goals on 31 shots to the Detroit Red Wings, a costly blowup game for the Capitals.
This disaster feels all too familiar for Kings fans who have seen their goaltenders regularly give up four-plus goals, such as during a four-game losing streak in January that saw them give up four-plus goals in each of those four games. Moving on from any asset for a goaltender who has this blowup ability will not solve any issues for the Kings.
Catching Fire as of Late
Since that losing streak, however, the Kings have been on fire. While there was a 7-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the team has won eight of their past 12 and now sits comfortably in a wild card spot, seven points ahead of the first team out of the race, the Calgary Flames.
As well, their goaltending has found some stability. The season started with Cam Talbot as the starter. The All-Star was playing some of the best hockey of his career but has since fallen off a cliff. His success and struggles were correlated with the team’s performance in the standings to start the season.
Since backup goaltender Pheonix Copley got injured for the remainder of the season, Rittich has seen time in the NHL. Luckily for the Kings, his emergence has perfectly coincided with Talbot’s struggles. Since he got called up on Dec. 15, he has a 9-4-3 record, 2.32 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and 10.3 goals saved above expected (GSAx), according to Money Puck. This mark is higher than Lindgren, who sits with 4.3 GSAx on the season, and Talbot, who has 5.6 GSAx on the season. While he has only played in 18 games this season, Rittich’s performance has shown that there is no reason to make a big move for a goaltender or skater if it will be costly to other parts of this roster.
Making a move for any NHL team is always a complicated endeavor, but especially now for the Kings. There is no doubt there are ways to get this team to win the Stanley Cup this season. However, making a move that will be the difference maker is hard to imagine with the roster’s current constraints and long-term outlook. While fans may want to see a big splash in the coming days, a more modest deadline is likely in store.