LA Kings: 5 players they should trade at the deadline

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 14: Los Angeles Kings right wing Tyler Toffoli (73) skates with the puck during the NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning on January 14, 2020 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

Kyle Clifford

Kyle Clifford was nearly traded at last year’s trade deadline. The LA Kings are probably going to trade him by the deadline this year, as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Clifford would be a nice upgrade to a lot of contenders, as he’s a very solid fourth-line center who can also kill penalties if needed.

He also chips in enough points on offense to make a fourth line better, as he has 14 points in 51 games this season. Clifford has had trouble staying healthy, but when he’s been healthy, he usually produces at roughly a 20 points per 82 games rate with a career points per game rate of 0.20.

At $1.6 million, his cap hit is pretty reasonable. But again, most contenders don’t have much cap space. The Kings probably wouldn’t mind retaining $800,000 to make his cap hit $800,000 for the team that trades for him. Clifford’s underlying stats are strong and he’s a very good forechecker as well.

The Kings probably won’t get much for him, but as they say, something is better than nothing. Clifford’s cap hit should make him attractive for contenders, especially if they’re willing to retain some of his cap hit. He also has Stanley Cup experience, as he put up seven points in 24 games during the Kings’ Stanley Cup run in 2014.

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