The Los Angeles Kings have been enjoying some time off while the 4 Nations Tournament has been taking the sports world by storm.
Tonight we get the epic rematch between the United States and Canada in the title game.
The tournament featured two Kings players: Adrian Kempe on Team Sweden, and Drew Doughty on Team Canada.
The NHL will resume play this weekend, with the Kings sitting in 3rd place in the Pacific Division. The biggest question for them to answer is whether they will be buyers at the NHL Trade Deadline.
In honor of the 4 Nations Tournament, let’s take a look at one player from each roster that the Kings should trade for.
*Note: I will try and be as realistic as possible, so no, Connor McDavid or Cale Makar will not be coming to LA anytime soon.
Los Angeles Kings Trade Targets From 4 Nations
Brad Marchand, LW – Team Canada
It would be so strange to see Brad Marchand in another sweater as he has played his entire illustrious 16-year career with the Boston Bruins. My guess is that he wants to retire a Bruin, but if the Bruins’ season starts to go downhill, they could decide to offload older players to gain some draft picks.
Currently, Boston sits at 6th place in the Atlantic Division, but they are only 1 point out of a Wildcard spot. They would need to tank over the next 2 weeks for this to even be a conversation.
But at 36 years old, if that were to happen, the Los Angeles Kings should at least pick up the phone.
Marchand currently has 20 goals and 24 assists, good enough for 44 total points. That would be some great firepower for the Kings to add in their quest for another Stanley Cup.
Brock Nelson, C – Team USA
Brock Nelson is another player who has spent his entire career with one organization, the New York Islanders. Again, teams don’t typically trade their franchise players, but at 33 years old, if the Islanders season continues to go south, they could decide to deal him to build for the future.
Nelson is also in the final year of his 6-year deal, so the Islanders could be looking to get something in return if they do not think they can re-sign him.
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The Kings would obviously want to get something long-term done if they are trading assets, but at a minimum, he would be a nice rental to help them down the stretch.
He currently has 17 goals and 18 assists for New York.
Mikko Rantanen, RW – Team Finland
Alright, this would truly be an unprecedented scenario. The hockey world exploded not too long ago when the Colorado Avalanche traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Panthers. Their main reasoning was that they felt that they were not going to be able to get a long-term contract done this summer, so they wanted to get something in return instead of losing him for nothing.
It’s still early, but so far, Rantanen only has 2 points with his new team. There are also rumors, and from what I have heard they are just rumors, that Carolina is growing worried about getting a long-term deal done themselves.
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If this is true, they could decide to move him again at the deadline, and the Los Angeles Kings could reap the benefits of one of the best scorers in the NHL.
Rant currently has 26 goals and 40 assists, 20 more than Los Angeles Kings leading scorer Adrian Kempe.
Erik Karlsson, D – Team Sweden
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson has been one of the most dynamic two-way players of his generation.
This is just his 2nd season with the Pens after playing the bulk of his career with the Ottowa Senators and San Jose Sharks, so there is not a real bond to stay there.
The Penguins are floundering this year, and are currently 6 points out of a wild-card spot. At 34 years old, Karlsson could be a trade candidate and would be a welcomed addition to the Los Angeles Kings.
He currently has 6 goals and 32 assists. After tormenting the Kings for years while he was a member of the Sharks, it would be great to see him in the LA sweater.