NHL Rumors: Kings Checking In On 2 Left-Shot Defencemen

The Los Angeles Kings have been looking into moving a right-shot defenceman all season with the emergence of Brandt Clarke and because they just have too many with Drew Doughty, Sean Durzi, Matt Roy, and Sean Walker all on the roster.

Not only are the Kings going to move out one of Roy or Walker, they are interested in adding a left-shot defenceman at the trade deadline and have checked in on Vladislav Gavrikov. They have also been seen as a good fit for someone like Jake McCabe, per The Fourth Period.

Gavrikov is a fix for the short-term and can help the Kings for the rest of the season. There is a possibility he would stick around after that if Los Angeles likes what they see, but he is going to get a pay raise from the $2.8 million he makes this season regardless.

McCabe would give security on the left side and allow the Kings to move on from Alex Edler after the season. McCabe can play in the top-four on the left side and provide defensive structure. He has a cap hit at $4 million AAV until 2025 and would give the Kings another option in the top four if they want to shuffle pairings around.

The Kings are firmly in second place in the division with 50 points after getting the goaltending they've needed from Pheonix Copley. If they shore up their defence with a couple of moves, they can be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.