The Los Angeles Kings have already done plenty of work on the blue line this offseason, but the job may not be finished.
That’s the read Sportsnet recently put on the team’s remaining needs, and the takeaway was pretty clear: if the Kings can find one more skilled defenseman, it would go a long way toward rounding out the roster. The club has added experience and depth, but a true puck-moving presence who can drive offense from the back end is still the missing piece.
Brandt Clarke is already part of the answer. The 23-year-old signed a five-year contract extension this summer and has become one of the Kings’ cornerstone defensemen. Even so, asking Clarke to carry the entire load as the team’s main playmaking and puck-moving defenseman may be too much.
The obstacle isn’t just finding the right player. It’s making the money work.
After a busy stretch of free agency, the Kings are sitting on roughly $2 million in cap space, which makes any addition tricky. Elliotte Friedman said on Sportsnet that a move would likely have to be a “dollar in dollar out” situation.
“I think they would still add a puck-mover on the back end if they could, but I think it's basically dollar in dollar out for them.”
One name that has kept coming up is Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin. Rumors and discussion have linked the Kings to the 24-year-old left-shot defenseman since early in the offseason, and he would fit the bill as a top-pairing partner for Clarke. But if Los Angeles seriously pursues him, it won’t come cheaply.
A move like that would also address another issue for the Kings: offense. Their attack finished near the bottom of the league in goals per pame and power play conversion percentage last regular season, and another puck-moving defenseman could help in transition, in the neutral zone and on special teams while taking some pressure off Clarke.
Still, the biggest need in Los Angeles remains the center position, where replacing Anze Kopitar is the long-term priority. Even so, Sportsnet’s point stands: another skilled defenseman would make the roster look more complete heading into this season.
The real question is whether Ken Holland can create the cap flexibility needed to make it happen.
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That is why a player like Joel Edmundson has surfaced as a possible way to create flexibility. The veteran defenseman carries a $3.9 million cap hit through 2027-28, so moving that money could help Los Angeles chase a top-six center and reshape the middle of the lineup, even if doing so would mean parting with a piece the club has leaned on for depth and experience. [Read more 🡒]