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.

Trevor Lewis

Much like Clifford, Trevor Lewis will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Teams will definitely be interested in him because of what he can bring to the table. In 39 games this season, Lewis has 2 goals and 7 points while averaging 11:43 of ice time per game.

He’s a guy who can kill penalties, as he’s averaging just under a minute shorthanded this season. Furthermore, Lewis has the lowest goals against per hour on the penalty kill among Kings forwards this season (min. 30 minutes).

However, his cap hit of $2 million will likely force LA to have to retain salary on him in order to make a trade work out. Still, Lewis has a ton of experience, as he’s played in 657 regular season games as of Feb. 1 and has also played in 79 postseason games. Teams are always looking for players with experience this time of the season.

Much like Clifford, the Kings aren’t going to get much for Lewis. I’d expect nothing more than a fourth-round pick. But still, the Kings drafted very well in 2019. If they can keep it going in 2020, maybe that fourth-round pick will turn into something. Also, if Lewis gets traded, that could open up a spot for a young player.

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.