Rob Blake stepped down as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings on May 5th. On May 22, Pierre LeBlanc from The Athletic reported that the Kings plan to be aggressive in the trade and free-agent markets this summer. He believes the new GM is likely to seek major upgrades, aiming to overcome their recent streak of first-round playoff eliminations by the Edmonton Oilers.
The Kings currently have an estimated $21.7 million in salary cap space and 21 players under contract for the upcoming season. LeBlanc highlighted that this cap flexibility positions the team well to make significant moves in free agency. He also mentioned that if the Toronto Maple Leafs’ right winger entered the unrestricted free agent pool on July 1, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Kings pursued Mitch Marner.
Jim Parsons of Hockey News identified Boser and Marner as potential targets for the Kings, also mentioning John Tavares of the Leafs, Connor Brown of the Oilers, and Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers. However, Parsons noted that competition for top-tier free agents will be intense.
Shifting focus to the Montreal Canadiens, the team is expected to seek a second-line center either through trade or free agency after the Stanley Cup playoffs. TVA Sports’ Tony Marinaro and Jean-Charles Lajoie recently analyzed possible unrestricted free-agent options for the Canadiens, suggesting that Dallas Stars’ Michael Granlund could be a good fit.
Although Granlund is relatively small at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Marinaro and Lajoie feel he could be a solid short-term addition. Lajoie pointed out Granlund’s ability to step into a larger role if injuries strike and recommended the Canadiens consider signing the 33-year-old even if they secure another second-line center. Granlund just finished a four-year deal averaging $5 million per year and has not matched his previous seasons of over 60 points in the 2022-23 season with the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.
In New Jersey, the Devils appear ready to trade one or two players this summer to free up salary cap space and address other roster needs. James Nichols of Hockey New Jersey reports that forwards Ondrej Palat, 34, and Erik Haula are currently protected from trades, although Palat’s full no-movement clause has been downgraded to a 10-team no-trade list.
Haula might be the easier player to move since he has one year left on a $3.25 million contract, while Palat has $6 million remaining for two years. Nichols suggests the Devils need more scoring and points out potential trade targets in Ottawa Senators’ Drake Batherson, Buffalo Sabres’ Alex Tuch, and Vegas Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev.
That said, the Sabres reportedly want to keep Tuch, the Senators are unlikely to move Batherson due to his favorable contract, and the Golden Knights prefer to hold onto the 24-year-old Dorofeyev, who may have scored around 35 goals this season.
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Fan Take: This offseason buzz highlights how eager teams are to rebuild and strengthen their rosters, promising an exciting summer for hockey fans. The aggressive pursuit of key free agents and strategic trades could significantly shake up the league’s competitive landscape next season.
