February 27, 2024 | 9:15pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
KINGS ACTIVE IN TRADE MARKET, LOOKING FOR SCORER
Adrian Kempe, forward
The Los Angeles Kings were dealt a blow on Monday when right wing Adrian Kempe went down with an upper-body injury and flew back to L.A. on Tuesday for an MRI.
Kempe’s injury comes a few days after winger Viktor Arvidsson, who recently returned form back surgery, was injured and placed back on LTIR.
As the Kings wait on the results of Kempe’s injury, the fear is he could miss the balance of the regular-season. If that is the case, the Kings could use his $5.5 million in salary cap space to add a scoring winger up front.
According to two seperate well-placed sources, TFP’s Dennis Bernstein reported on Tuesday evening that Kings GM Rob Blake is already weighing his options and has already reached out to some clubs to gauge the price on some of the top wingers potentially available ahead of the March 8 trade deadline.
Significant LAK update:
— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) February 28, 2024
As the puck drops in Calgary, hearing Kings have started to make calls on available wingers, which would indicate more lengthy absence for Adrian Kempe (possible LTIR).
LAK already down 2 wingers with Viktor Arvidsson and Carl Grundstrom on LTIR.
If Kempe is unable to return to the lineup until the playoffs, Blake could use all of his $5.5 million cap hit for a scorer, such as Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel or Seattle’s Jordan Eberle.
The Kraken, however, are engaged in contract negotiations with Eberle’s camp and are trying to sign him to an extension, as TFP’s David Pagnotta reported on Monday.
With 10 days until the deadline, the Kings could find themselves in the thick of trade talk and become another threat to other clubs looking to add up front.