In his latest ’32 Thoughts’ episode for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman highlighted the Los Angeles Kings’ primary objective ahead of the trade deadline: acquiring a right-handed scoring forward. This observation aligns with the team’s current needs, as their offensive output has been underwhelming despite their playoff contention.
Among teams currently occupying a divisional playoff spot, the Kings exhibit the lowest goals-for-per-game, powerplay percentage, and shots-on-goal figures. This offensive stagnation is further compounded by a notable lack of right-handed shooting forwards. In fact, winger Alex Laferriere is the sole right-handed forward among the nine Kings’ forwards with 10 or more points this season.
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The New York Islanders, despite a recent seven-game winning streak, find themselves hovering near the Eastern Conference playoff line, prompting speculation regarding the potential trade of veteran players as the deadline approaches.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, a seasoned veteran with a history of playoff success, is a prominent figure in these trade rumors. Previously traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Islanders at the 2020 NHL trade deadline, Pageau thrived in his new environment, culminating in an impressive eight-goal performance during the Islanders’ playoff run to the Eastern Conference Final.
Clutch Points recently explored several NHL trade deadline partners to find Pageau a new home and the Kings were among the four teams in contention.
Los Angeles Kings Get Their Right-handed Scorer Ahead Of NHL Trade Deadline
“With the NHL trade deadline less than a month away, the Los Angeles Kings have identified righty scorers as their biggest desire,” Clutch Points writes. “Pageau does not have the scoring touch that Rickard Rakell or Dylan Cozens do but is a righty shot. His face-off ability and penalty-killing should make him an attractive piece for a team desperately looking for playoff success.
What the Senators lack in center depth, the Kings have in spades. Anze Kopitar, Quentin Byfield, and Philip Danault are all great centers and bring something different to the lineup. Pageau is not a better defender than Kopitar and does not have the high ceiling that Byfield has. But the Kings need righties and Pageau can help diversify their power play and penalty kill down the stretch.”
The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Ottawa Senators were the other teams named in the article.