After a great regular season, the LA Kings saw their year end in the first round of the NHL Playoffs for the 4th straight time at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. Those Oilers are now back in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 2nd straight year.
The Kings need to add some more firepower to their lineup as their scoring fizzled down the stretch.
After the season was complete, the organization and GM Rob Blake agreed to mutually part ways. President Luc Robitaille began a search and recently announced the hiring of Ken Holland as the team’s new Vice President and 10th general manager in franchise history.
Holland will inherit a roster that is very talented, without many holes. However, he will have the ability to make a splash signing that would not only be beneficial to the team but would also ignite the fanbase after years of tepid offseason activity.
One superstar who continues to get linked to the Kings is Toronto Maple Leafs star winger Mitch Marner.
Could Mitch Marner Sign With The LA Kings?
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period just recently dropped his latest intel on chatter around the league. A major emphasis of the conversation was, of course, on Mitch Marner and where he could end up.
“Just about every team will poke around, but I believe Marner has a list of seven or eight teams he prefers to go to if the offers are in place,” writes Pagnotta. “Los Angeles and Vegas are two of those clubs. Teams with a boatload of cap space may be willing to go above and beyond financially, like Anaheim, Columbus, and San Jose, but would Maner prefer to sign with a club closer to contention?
The LA Kings are projected to have roughly $21 million in cap space, per Puck Pedia, so money will not be an issue if they want Marner.
Alex Laferriere is set to be a free agent, and he will likely be a priority to re-sign, as he is still just 23 years old and posted 42 points last season.
Andrei Kuzmenko, who Rob Blake traded for at the trade deadline last season, is another player who gelled well with the team quickly and caught fire down the stretch. They will likely look to re-sign him as well.
Outside of those two players, the LA Kings are pretty set, leaving them with plenty of money and flexibility to go after Marner.
Marner finished with 102 points last season (27 goals, 75 assists), and he would instantly become the top offensive weapon on the team. Adding him to the first line, potentially with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, would make one of the best first lines in the NHL.
If Pagnotta’s report holds true, then Ken Holland could kick off his LA Kings debut with an absolute bang.
Thoughts? Comment below!