3 Kings Players Who Won’t Be Back Next Season

The Los Angeles Kings have a pretty strong lineup, but will have to make some changes in the offseason to make room next season, whether it be for younger players or because of contracts. Here's a look at three players who likely won't be back next season for the Kings.

Matt Roy

Los Angeles might finally have to make the decision to part ways with Matt Roy despite how well he plays on the back-end. He is definitely going to require a raise, and with that, will entail a top-four role moving forward. This would be completely fine if the Kings didn't have Brandt Clarke, also a right-shot defenseman, waiting for his opportunity to get in the lineup. He is already ready to graduate and he is talented enough to be a top-four defenseman at this time. With Drew Doughty signed for a few more seasons, it doesn't make a ton of sense to extend Roy to a multi-year deal at a larger salary, so he will likely find that in free agency.

Cam Talbot

The Kings showed interest in acquiring a goaltender at the deadline, and rumors indicate that the Boston Bruins were close to sending Linus Ullmark over ahead of the deadline. This means that the Kings are looking for someone younger and more stable for their net. After the way that Cam Talbot has played for most of the season, he will be asking for more money, and it is a risk given his stretch of struggles in the middle of the season. Expect the Kings to target a goalie and Talbot to test free agency since he still likely wants to be a starter.

Viktor Arvidsson

The Kings have played the majority of the season without Viktor Arvidsson in the lineup and they have been just fine. This should give them an idea of what their team will look like without him moving forward as the team might see him as an injury liability. While the Kings would like to have him healthy and in their lineup, they have figured it out and have talented players filling their top-nine. Arvidsson is going to need a decent sized contract because of how good he is, and that's something I don't think the Kings are willing to get serious on.