With the issue of defenseman Slava Voynov's domestic violence, will-he-be-charged, won't-he-be-charged, case finally resolved (for the team at least, it's kinda just getting started for him), the Los Angeles Kings now have about $4 million in cap space and a fairly large bit of empty real estate on their blueline.
It's a void they're apparently very keen to fill, even if it means shipping out an important piece from another spot in the lineup, or allowing one of their talented young prospects to be pilfered from their roster, according to The Fourth Period.
Kings GM Dean Lombardi would like to add a No.2 or No.3 defenseman, with just over $4 million in available salary cap space to play with.
The Kings had been fielding calls on fourth-line center who-would-be-a-second-line-center-anywhere-else, Mike Richards, prior to the Redondo Beach County Sheriff Department's decision to charge Voynov, HNGN reported previously.
It's unclear if he's still in play, but two separate league executives told TFP the Kings will need to part with a "solid roster player" in order to acquire a top-tier defenseman.
Richards, while still dealing with decreased playing time and a lesser role in LA, certainly qualifies as a "solid roster player." There are other players though, like Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli, both members of the "That 70's Line," the team has deemed off limits in trade discussion, instead pushing potential suitors towards their bevy of youngsters.
...but top prospects Nick Shore, Valentin Zykov and this past June's first-round draft pick Adrian Kempe could be packaged in a deal, an Eastern Conference team executive speculated.
Whether or not a deal is consummated seems dependent on Lombardi's willingness to part with a - truly - quality player. With defenseman Drew Doughty forced to take on an increasingly taxing amount of minutes in Voynov and the injured Alec Martinez's absences, it would behoove Lombardi to expand his options and approach the situation with a bit more flexibility, while being careful not to sacrifice long-term team prospects for a short-term gain.
