NHL Trade Rumors: 3 Los Angeles Kings Trade Candidates
Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake is never shy to make a bold trade. Over the course of his tenure at the helm, Blake has made several significant trades including most recently by swapping Pierre-Luc Dubois with Darcy Kuemper in an offseason deal with the Washington Capitals.
Leading into training camp in September, keep an eye on the Kings as they have a few candidates for the trade market, including:
Arthur Kaliyev
Kaliyev is a restricted free agent currently without a contract for next season. The Russian forward would prefer a change of scenery over re-signing and so far there's been very little noise around a potential incoming trade. Kaliyev was originally a 2019 second-round pick of the Kings and last season posted 15 points in 51 games. There's a very good chance a deal is struck before training camp next season.
Jordan Spence
Spence is going to have to battle Brandt Clarke for minutes next season in what's become a crowded Kings blueline, even with the departure of Matt Roy. Spence is currently without a contract and is a restricted free agent. The 23-year-old is a former fourth-round pick and last season recorded a career high 24 points in 71 games. It will take a lot for Blake to let Spence go, however with the need for more depth up front, there's certainly a potential Spence is in play to land an impact forward.
Phoenix Copley
After the Kings re-signed Daniel Rittich and brought in Kuemper, Copley quickly became a potential trade chip. The 32-year-old has one season left on his contract at $825,000 and is coming off a strong showing last season posting a 4-1-2 record, along with a 3.16 GAA. Copley's in tough to make the team next season, so as he's on a one-way deal, Blake could look to make a trade instead of potentially losing Copley on the waiver wire.
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
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