The indefinite suspension of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov by the NHL continues to resonate throughout this season for general manager Dean Lombardi.
The ramifications of Voynov's loss have forced the team to play, at times, with one arm seemingly tied behind their backs and no means with which to improve their flagging fortunes.
Partial relief finally came when Voynov's cap hit was removed from the books, so Lombardi is at least free now to fill the void left by his absence on the ice.
If the latest rumors are true, that's exactly what he and Coach Darryl Sutter are looking to do.
According to TheFourthPeriod.com, Lombardi and the Kings are very interested in adding a defenseman, though there is not yet any definitive answer as to what means they'll use.
"Lombardi is looking at multiple options, from acquiring a rental player to landing a defenseman with term left on his contract."
Among the names TFP is hearing the Kings having showed varying degrees of interest in, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Andrej Sekera and Philadelphia Flyers blueline Braydon Coburn may be the most realistic.
Coburn, overpaid by just about any measure - his cap hit is $4.5 million - shouldn't cost the Kings too much in trade. The Flyers and general manager Ron Hextall would be all-too-happy to get out from under his contract, which lasts through the 2015-16 season.
Of course, with the Kings having only about $3.3 million in space to work with, the two sides would have to come to an agreement on some type of deal wherein the Flyers would eat a portion of the money.
Sekera, on the other hand, would be much more costly to acquire, but his contract is up at the end of this season and his cap hit is a much more manageable $2.75 million.
As a rental player, he could fit the Kings' needs fairly well.
TFP also notes that the team could be interested in Arizona Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle, but his price tag would be even larger than Sekera's, and Lombardi isn't the type of GM to overpay.
