TRADE NOISE PICKING UP IN LOS ANGELES

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Despite being over 3,000 miles away from the Los Angeles Kings’ eastern-Canadian road swing covering the NHL Global Series in Sweden, I’m directly in the jet stream of trade wind rumours swirling around the team.

After Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the equally-struggling Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles’ sixth in its last seven games, the sense inside the organization is that as the 20-game mark of the regular-season could mark significant trade activity.

The two primary trade assets appear to be, at present, pending unrestricted free agent Tyler Toffoli, whose goal with 7.2 seconds remaining in regulation salvaged a point for the visitors on Thursday, and defenceman Alec Martinez, the 32-year-old puck-moving rearguard with one-year remaining on his current deal.

Toffoli, a recent healthy scratch by coach Todd McLellan, appears to be in full showcase mode by the organization. He logged 18:17 ice in Ottawa and was featured on a newly formed line combination with centre Anze Kopitar and winger Jeff Carter. His elevated ice time was due in part to an early-game injury to another forward who has been the subject of trade speculation, veteran Trevor Lewis.

It’s interesting to note that Toffoli’s highest ice-time this season came against Ottawa, whose GM Pierre Dorion attended a Kings game last week (note – the game in which Toffoli was scratched).

With injuries to Logan Brown and Colin White and the lack of production from veterans Mikael Boedker and Bobby Ryan, the Senators’ top two right wingers are currently Anthony Duclair and Connor Brown, both restricted free agents with arbitration rights at the end of the season. With eight pending unrestricted free agents on the roster and another $10 million in cap hits coming off the board from LTIR placeholders Ryan Callahan and Clarke MacArthur, the Senators have only a shade over $40 million of cap commitments in place for next season. That could present an opportunity for a player like Toffoli to come in and capitalize financially with a solid contract run – a scenario not available in Los Angeles for the winger who turns 28 in April.

His game-tying goal was his fourth of the season and while no longer considered the 30-goal producer of four seasons ago, he is on-track for a 20-goal campaign.

Toffoli’s move alongside Kopitar is a by-product of the lack of a legitimate No.2 pivot on the depth chart. Carter was moved to right wing in an effort to increase his productivity and possible trade value, but the combination of Adrian Kempe, Michael Amadio and Blake Lizotte has failed to produce an effective facilitator behind Kopitar – a primary factor in the team’s 27th place standing in goals for and 29th ranked powerplay. The powerplay standing is especially painful given the team’s ability to draw penalties; Los Angeles ranks in the top five in powerplay time through 16 games.

Lewis, a Kings fixture for a dozen seasons but now relegated to a fourth line role, is playing out the final year of a deal at an affordable $2 million cap hit and his flexibility to play both center and wing can provide quality depth to a contender. He left the game after registering 2:21 of playing time with a lower-body injury as the team awaits a further update on his injury.

Like Toffoli, there have been no talks of a contract extension with club management.

At the other end of the ice, Martinez is producing another steady season, his eleventh as a King. It’s no surprise to see his productivity fall off given the team’s offensive struggles (0 goals, 5 assists in 16 games), though he’s managed to maintain an even plus/minus rating for a team with a -22 goal differential in averaging 21 minutes of time-on-ice and his advanced stats are superior to those of star defenceman Drew Doughty, who admitted recent struggles adapting to McLellan’s new system.

Martinez gives suitors both flexibility and affordability – a left-handed shot who is comfortable playing either side and an equally comfortable $4 million cap hit both this season and next. A quiet but thoughtful leader in the locker room, Martinez’s fate appears to be tracking in the same manner as Jake Muzzin, a core contributor in the Los Angeles championship seasons but worth more now as a trade asset. Muzzin was traded after 50 games last season and though Martinez will not return the same bounty that Muzzin did (a first-round pick turned into defenceman Tobias Bjornfot, blueliner Sean Durzi and forward Carl Grundstrom) Martinez could fetch two assets from the highest bidder.

The question is if General Manager Rob Blake will slow cook his deals until the February 24, 2020 deadline day or will seize the opportunity to move his veterans sooner to clear the path for the developing talent in the organization.