Los Angeles Kings Top Free-Agent Targets
toffoli
The Los Angeles Kings have a few changes to make this off-season. They are a playoff-calibre team that has a good core but needs some secondary pieces to help complement the core group of their roster.
After they lock up Quintin Byfield, they will likely have around $15–17 million in projected cap space to address other areas.
Their first area of need has to be in the crease. As of right now, they only have David Rittich signed and will need to target a starting goalie.
Their defence core is locked up for the most part; they will need to re-sign Jordan Spence and sign a bottom-pairing defenceman.
Their second biggest need would be their forward group and targeting players to help support their main core.
Los Angeles Kings Top Targets:
- Tyler Toffoli
- Jason Zucker
- Max Pacioretty
- Ilya Samsonov
The three forwards—Toffoli, Zucker, and Pacioretty—are all veteran players who can provide the Kings' core with great secondary scoring and leadership.
More specifically, the Kings should reunite with Toffoli and bring him back to where his career started. After winning the Stanley Cup with the organization 10 years ago, in 2014, it would be surreal for him to try and win it again 10 years later.
Zucker and/or Pacioretty would be an interesting pick-up for the Kings. Both could provide the team with around 30–40 points and be leaders within their bottom-six forward group.
Samsonov has been a goalie that just makes sense for the Kings. He had a bad start to the season last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs but turned it around in the back half.
He could do well in a market that is a bit more relaxed than the market in Toronto, and with Rittich as his backup, he could easily take on the starting goalie role.