Evaluating the LA Kings offseason options

Mitch Marner is this summer’s big fish on the open market. Coming off his first career 100+ point season, the former Maple Leaf will have a long list of suitors hoping to sign the 28-year-old right-shot forward.

AFP Analytics projects Mitch Marner’s next contract to be around $13 million over seven years. If Kings’ GM Ken Holland aims to make a bold move, signing Marner would deliver. As the top available player, Marner addresses LA’s critical need for elite forward talent and could push Quinton Byfield’s game to the next level.

If the Kings sign Marner after extending Laferriere, they’d have roughly $9 million to fill five roster spots. While not impossible, it would force Holland to hunt for bargains in free agency, particularly for a left-shot defenseman to replace Gavrikov. Of course, pursuing a trade could provide a more viable solution to address the defensive gap.

There are some decent names in free agency if LA foregoes the trade route. Florida’s Nate Schmidt and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk are both projected to sign around $3-$4 million by AFP. Each would help with the need for more puck movers on the blueline at an inexpensive cost.

For the rest of the roster, I re-signed Tanner Jeannot and David Rittich. Jeannot had good stretches on the fourth line with Helenius and Turcotte until an injury kept him out of the playoffs. And though Rittich proved inconsistent, he’s a familiar face that could come back for cheap to fill the backup spot, with the option to give prospect Erik Portillo a few starts also.

Jacob Moverare, Andre Lee, and Tyson Barrie are more than capable extras signed around league minimum. Barrie could be a nice veteran presence in the locker room with some familiarity with Holland.

Balanced upgrades/Bowen Byram trade

Among names reportedly available via trade, Buffalo’s restricted free agent Bowen Byram could be exactly what the LA Kings need. The soon-to-be 24-year-old left-shot defender fills that need for a puck mover, bringing more excitement, creativity, and youth to the blueline.

For a comparable trade to a player like Byram, consider Jacob Trouba’s trade from Winnipeg to the New York Rangers. The Rangers sent a first-round pick and Neal Pionk to acquire the 25-year-old defenseman.

A similar move for LA would be their 2025 first-round pick, Jordan Spence, and Trevor Moore. The trade gives Buffalo good young assets to work with and an established, hard-working winger, while LA receives cap flexibility to sign Byram. With close to $21 million still to work with, the Kings have a lot of space left to fill some important spots.

Dante Fabbro (UFA)

If the Kings decide to trade Spence, Dante Fabbro would be a player high on my radar. The right-shot defender revived his career with an excellent 2024-25 season in Columbus. Fabbro averaged over 21 minutes a game, was a +23, and finished with a relative expected goal share at 5v5 of 8.6% (third on the team).

Turning 27 later this month, there aren’t many UFA defenders who can provide that production at an inexpensive cap hit.

Brad Marchand (UFA)

At Luc Robitaille’s end-of-season availability, he mentioned the need for more “killer instinct” on the club. Well, look no further than Brad Marchand. Even at 37 years old, Marchand can still be an impactful player in a limited role on a contending team.

Andrei Kuzmenko (UFA)

Coming in at the trade deadline, Andrei Kuzmenko provided a much-needed offensive spark and was a great addition to LA’s power play. Bringing him back on a short-term deal would be a no-brainer for Holland and the Kings.

Whatever Ken Holland intends to do this offseason, it should be way more exciting than last year, considering the cap space LA has. Happy hunting.