LA Kings: 5 players they should trade at the deadline

The LA Kings will likely be one of the most active sellers at the 2020 NHL trade deadline. Which players are they likely going to trade?

As expected, the LA Kings season hasn’t gone too well. Entering the month of February, the Kings are in last place in the Western Conference with a record of 19-28-5. In the NHL, only the Detroit Red Wings have a worse record and they’re historically bad.

The Kings are in a tough position, as they’re a team that needs to rebuild, but they have quite a few aging contracts. However, they’re still in a very good position to be sellers at the trade deadline, as they have quite a few free agents.

Usually, the Kings have approached the deadline as buyers over the past decade. But this time, the deadline is going to be all about improving their future. If they play their cards right though, they could easily bolster their already quickly improving prospect pipeline and gain more draft picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, which should be one of the best in recent memory.

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The Kings also have a ton of cap space. This could allow them to be a middle man in some trades, as most contenders are very close to the salary cap ceiling. Here’s a look at the players they will be looking to move at the 2020 NHL trade deadline.

Derek Forbort

Contenders are always looking for defensive depth this time of year. Defenseman Derek Forbort could be an intriguing piece for a team looking to bolster their blueline. His cap hit is $2.525 million, which is a bit pricey for someone who has battled injuries like Forbort has. He’s played in just seven games this season.

However, the Kings have cap space, so they could easily retain salary and make his cap hit more attractive. It’s worth noting Forbort has played at least 20 minutes in a game for three straight seasons, though he’s averaging just over 15 per game this season.

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.

Alec Martinez

LA Kings defenseman Alec Martinez will not be an unrestricted free agent until after next season, but his name has been thrown around in trade rumors for a while now. They were reportedly shopping him last season. And this season, the Kings remain committed to trying to move him.

In 34 games this season, Martinez has just seven points. However, he has been much more productive in the past. Also, it’s worth noting he had a wrist injury this season, which caused him to miss some time and also affected his game. Martinez is capable of gobbling up minutes, as he has averaged over 20 minutes per game in each of the past five seasons, including this one.

He’s capable of killing penalties, as he’s averaging nearly two minutes per game shorthanded this season. Among Kings defensemen, only Drew Doughty has averaged more. Though his underlying stats haven’t been strong as of late, a lack of options on the trade market could force teams looking to add to their blueline to turn to Martinez.

With a $4 million cap hit, it’s likely the Kings will have to retain some salary to accommodate a trade. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if they manage to pick up at least a second-round pick for Martinez.

Tyler Toffoli

Tyler Toffoli is by a wide margin the most interesting trade chip the LA Kings have. He’s the most likely guy they have who will fetch them a coveted first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Last year, the Kings were able to trade Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs for (among other things) a first-round pick. They took advantage, drafting Alex Turcotte and Tobias Bjornfot. So getting a second first-round pick is something the Kings should focus on. Toffoli could get them that.

He’s one of the best forwards on the market. Also, Toffoli has a ton of postseason experience, which is an added bonus. He’s been pretty productive despite playing on one of the NHL’s lowest-scoring teams. This season, Toffoli has 13 goals and 28 points in 51 games. One could argue only Chris Kreider is better among the rental options at wing.

Toffoli has already been linked to a number of teams, including the Colorado Avalanche and the Boston Bruins. He’d also make sense for the New York Islanders and the Dallas Stars too. Expect the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames to both be interested in him as well.

Unless Toffoli gets injured, the Kings are going to get a really good return for him. It should help them jumpstart their rebuild.