The Kings are coming off a great seven game homestead in which they were able to win five of the seven games and move their way up the division standings. As it currently stands the Kings are third in the pacific division and are two points behind the Ducks with two games in hand. The question now is where is this years Kings team headed?
At the conclusion of last season there were reports that both Kopitar and Doughty have had enough with the rebuild and wanted GM Rob Blake to make moves to improve the roster rather than wait for the prospects to make their way to the team. The moves Blake made over the summer have done exactly this, while the Kings may just be a “bubble team” they are right in the thick of the playoff race around the half way point of the season. With the success the team has had this season and the recent signing of Marc Bergevin it feels as if the Kings are going to be making a trade in the not so distant future to bolster this years lineup and make a push for a playoff spot.
While drafting may not be Bergevin’s strong suit, he has made some big trades during his tenure with the Montreal Canadians. Thomas Vanek, Jeff Petry, and Philip Danualt were all trades Bergevin made at or near the trade deadline during his reign in Montreal. With this experience it feels as if Bergevin was brought in to help the front office with a possible trade to elevate this roster into a true playoff caliber team. The next question is what are the Kings needs?
Looking up and down the lineup it’s clear the left side of the defense has some major holes that need to be plugged if the team is going to push for the playoffs. If this is the direction the Kings end up going there are three players I could see the Kings targeting. Jakob Chychrun, Ben Chariot, and Mark Gioradno have all been rumored names to be traded at the deadline. If the Kings are out bid for Chychrun it’s easy to see the team looking at the latter two players.
As a die hard Kings fan, this is the first year in a while it’s been fun to watch Kings hockey again. The team is competing hard, checking well, and winning some big games of late. It’s hard to not be excited when you see the Kings holding a playoff spot half way through the season. This roster has a legitimate chance of making the playoffs and as we saw in 2012, once you’re in anything can happen.
The Morning Skate 