Speculation: LA Kings with heavy interest in Landeskog

[KingsFan7824]

They would want Forbort. What's Forbort making $900K? Landeskog is around $5.57 or something? Kings would have to send Brown or Gaborik back to even out the cap hit to make it work.

With Iggy moving on maybe the Avs want another over the hill/not producing guy to replace him?

Everyone assumes it's Martinez or Muzzin that could be traded. Yet the Avs want a young defenseman. Maybe they're looking at Forbort.

Forbort is not enough leverage to make a team take Brown, if you're also getting an actual player back. Brown at 50%, plus Forbort, plus something else? Maybe, if the Kings are the only team in the running, and the Avs just want to flat out trade Landeskog.

 

[YP44]

zero chance of forbort plus brown. Yes the Avs have a lot of cap space next year, no they would not use it on Brown or Gaborik

 

[KingCanadain1976]

Not looking forward to all the hindsight GMing over the next few years, that's for sure.

when did the 2nd guessing even stop in here ? lol seriously as long as there is a hf board fans are going to second guess coaches and gm moves. I think your kidding yourself if you think any different.

 

[Trolfoli]

Forbort is not enough leverage to make a team take Brown, if you're also getting an actual player back. Brown at 50%, plus Forbort, plus something else? Maybe, if the Kings are the only team in the running, and the Avs just want to flat out trade Landeskog.

Brown around $3-4M would be a fine contract. He brings a lot for that much money. That would be about $2-3M retained.

Forbort is a top pairing D making under $1M. He's easily playing on a level $2-3M above his cap hit. Cap evens out pretty well actually.

Everyone is focused on Muzzin, Martinez is older and the Avs may want to get younger then Muzzin. Forbort makes sense as the trade target, but there is no way the Kings will trade someone from the top pair making under $1M unless they can clear cap space somewhere else. That's either Gaborik or Brown.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Brown around $3-4M would be a fine contract. He brings a lot for that much money. That would be about $2-3M retained.

Forbort is a top pairing D making under $1M. He's easily playing on a level $2-3M above his cap hit. Cap evens out pretty well actually.

Everyone is focused on Muzzin, Martinez is older and the Avs may want to get younger then Muzzin. Forbort makes sense as the trade target, but there is no way the Kings will trade someone from the top pair making under $1M unless they can clear cap space somewhere else. That's either Gaborik or Brown.

They just don't have that kind of sway with Brown or Gaborik. Lombardi can't call up a GM and say, well, the only way you get Forbort is if you take Brown/Gaborik. Forbort has played 55 games. He is a top pairing defenseman? He's playing on the top pair, that we know.

The issue with Brown's contract is the years. They could trade him today if he had 1, maybe 2 years remaining. But he has 5 left. Every year the goal total goes down, it makes every extra year on his deal that much more of a problem. It will cost the Kings, one way or another, to get rid of Brown's contract.

If Lombardi wants Landeskog, it may be Forbort going the other way, but Brown/Gaborik won't be a throw in to sweeten the pot. That seems too easy. Unless Sakic is that bad of a GM. If I'm Sakic, maybe you could talk me into Brown at 50%, but I'm getting more out of you than just Forbort.

 

[deeshamrock]

What if it's Brown + Forbort for Landeskog (other stuff to balance)... Avs get their young-ish D with lots of upside and Brown offsets the contract difference between Forbort and Landeskog

THey want a top young defensman, Forbert is good but not the arena they are looking for and Brown is a King for life unless DL eats some of that contract. Nobody is taking a 5.8M , 30 pt winger.

 

[Trolfoli]

They just don't have that kind of sway with Brown or Gaborik. Lombardi can't call up a GM and say, well, the only way you get Forbort is if you take Brown/Gaborik. Forbort has played 55 games. He is a top pairing defenseman? He's playing on the top pair, that we know.

The issue with Brown's contract is the years. They could trade him today if he had 1, maybe 2 years remaining. But he has 5 left. Every year the goal total goes down, it makes every extra year on his deal that much more of a problem. It will cost the Kings, one way or another, to get rid of Brown's contract.

If Lombardi wants Landeskog, it may be Forbort going the other way, but Brown/Gaborik won't be a throw in to sweeten the pot. That seems too easy. Unless Sakic is that bad of a GM. If I'm Sakic, maybe you could talk me into Brown at 50%, but I'm getting more out of you than just Forbort.

If Forbort is going, Brown/Gaborik have to be included because of the salary cap. If you trade someone making less then 1M for someone making 5.5 you have to clear cap space to make that trade. The Kings don't have that much available. Kings players that make over say 2M that could help even out the cap Kopitar/Carter/Brown/Gaborik/Toffoli/Doughty/Muzzin/Martinez/Greene. Of those players Kopitar/Carter/Toffoli/Doughty aren't being moved. Don't see Forbort & one of Muzzin/Martinez moving. That leaves Greene/Brown/Gaborik as possibilities to clear the cap space. Greene isn't enough cap on his own. Trading Forbort would have to include Brown or Gaborik from a cap perspective. There is no other way to get it done. Greene + retention on Landeskog could work, but somehow I doubt that's happening.

Also the extra years of Brown's contract aren't that big of an issue. There'll be contract inflation with the cap going up and he could always be bought out at that time.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

LOL, people still think a team will trade for Brown?

 

[Trolfoli]

THey want a top young defensman, Forbert is good but not the arena they are looking for and Brown is a King for life unless DL eats some of that contract. Nobody is taking a 5.8M , 30 pt winger.

Not with that attitude!

 

[Trolfoli]

LOL, people still think a team will trade for Brown?

If the Kings traded for a defensman making under a million that would play on their top pair, they would have to eat a horrendous contract to make that happen in the cap world.

 

[Quattro]

My question is why would the Avs be looking to trade Landeskog, their young captain? If the rumor is that the atmosphere in their room is bad and they are looking to trade their captain in his prime to fix it, that sends up huge red flags about Landeskog, which is something we have never heard hint of regarding him.

The more likely scenario is that they have no intention of trading him and this is all internet speculation...

 

[deeshamrock]

This right here is the question. There are other pieces that the Kings should have interest in on the Avs, depending on how much they want to blow it up. RHD, Centers. Kings could use a top 6 wing, but picking up a center and sliding Carter over to wing opens a lot of flexibility down the line.

This is what would work and what DL should do. And there are some candidates out there. Off the top of my head, both Bozak and Kadri were as recent as November on trade radar screens. Kadri's game has grown under Babcock and he's on a good contract, 6 yrs at 4.5 per. He would be a good fit on that 2nd line with JC and TP.
And the Leafs want to upgrade their defense, so maybe they could move AMart in a package.
Maybe not , but a center like Kadri, 26 , with good CAP and a top 6'er would benefit them both now and in the future.

 

[Trolfoli]

Ok... Let me explain it like this. Forbort can not be moved from the Kings cap perspective. Can't replace what he brings for his cap hit.

Avs are moving Iggy, 5.3M, UFA even if they can't move him.

Landeskog is being shopped for young/cheap players from what's been reported. 5.57M

Duchene, 6M has 2 years left on his contract after this one and wouldn't be surprising to see him move.

That's $17M in salary they're looking at moving for futures.

Avs will have the cap space to eat a contract to make it possible to trade for Forbort if they wanted to. They'll also need veteran leadership to help mentor the young team after they blow it up.

 

[Trolfoli]

My question is why would the Avs be looking to trade Landeskog, their young captain? If the rumor is that the atmosphere in their room is bad and they are looking to trade their captain in his prime to fix it, that sends up huge red flags about Landeskog, which is something we have never heard hint of regarding him.

The more likely scenario is that they have no intention of trading him and this is all internet speculation...

So 3 of the Avs Pro scouts were at the Kings game last night?

 

[deeshamrock]

My question is why would the Avs be looking to trade Landeskog, their young captain? If the rumor is that the atmosphere in their room is bad and they are looking to trade their captain in his prime to fix it, that sends up huge red flags about Landeskog, which is something we have never heard hint of regarding him.

The more likely scenario is that they have no intention of trading him and this is all internet speculation...

No it doesn't. Landy is not the problem, rather the opposite, not just a very talented player but a solid leader who is repected in that room (by the accounts of both local media and national that cover the Avs) He's everything you'd want in a player and a leader and always has been and if you watch them, one o fthe few that leaves it all on the ice. Downward spiral that they are on, would affect the lockerroom, doesn't mean it's him. I read alot of hockey stories and listen to podcasts, I've never heard of him being a problem, rather the opposite. Not sure where you read that 'rumor' or who it came from but I've not come across anything but positives about him, esp off the ice.

Sakic is the genesis of the issues, and his track record is poor. When MacKinnon was drafted they had Stasney, Duchene and ROR down the middle, that's a decent spine for most teams.
He traded ROR, didn't buck up for Stasney and now wants Duchene gone. His drafting has been questionable as well, far to forward heavy. no map or gameplan. And it's bleeding through on the ice. He just doesn't have the tools to be a good GM and his answer to the teams failing is to reboot.
And Duchene and Landy are the two best forwards he is offering to get a top return, it's about the business not the player.

 

[deeshamrock]

So 3 of the Avs Pro scouts were at the Kings game last night?

the Stars and six of their 7 pending UFA's were playing too. Avs are having a fire sale, and moving parts out, not just MD and GL.
Stars have too many d, and need to move 1 or 2 and perhaps it could be one of the lower tiered d that need to go that the scouts were eyeing up.

Elliotte Friedman keeps hinting that the Kings are looking to improve their scoring. I'm okay with that as long as it is not an older rental.

If the Kings are interested in Landy, if the NESN rumors were true that the package (in the talks with Bruins) top young defenseman as part of the deal or a top defensive prospect, a top young player and a top pick. (they hinted the player might be Ryan Spooner) So maybe if AMart and Muzzin didn't fly, he's trying another way.

 

[Basilisk]

There's a decent chance that a "hockey deal" might happen between the teams....... Something about either Barrie or Johnson being RHD...... Maybe a 6-7 player deal.... 3-4 from our side & 3-4 from their side..... In terms of prospects, I'd expect Kempe, a 1st, and maybe a D prospect going the other way.... and that's to say nothing of Muzzin or Pearson, who'd probably also be gone.... In any event, expect Dean to easily win this trade....

 

[SFKingshomer]

I'd rather Dean go after a RH defenseman so we never see Muzzin/Martinez again.

 

[BigKing]

Here is my hot take:

I hope they trade for him just for the excitement of it because this team is stale.

I do like Landeskog as a player and he seems like a DL type of guy. As for defense being so much more important than wing: this team had great defense in 2012 and '14 but weren't going anywhere until they added scoring.

Due to the system, I'm not as afraid of moving a Muzzin for a real upgrade to the forward core, especially if said forward is also defensively responsible. I just don't like the expansion draft issue that goes along with a trade like this, but I'd be willing to roll the dice because at least it would be exciting.

As for this season, the current defense minus Muzzin would still be better than what they rolled into the playoffs with last season, barring any injuries.

 

[KingsFan7824]

If Forbort is going, Brown/Gaborik have to be included because of the salary cap. If you trade someone making less then 1M for someone making 5.5 you have to clear cap space to make that trade. The Kings don't have that much available. Kings players that make over say 2M that could help even out the cap Kopitar/Carter/Brown/Gaborik/Toffoli/Doughty/Muzzin/Martinez/Greene. Of those players Kopitar/Carter/Toffoli/Doughty aren't being moved. Don't see Forbort & one of Muzzin/Martinez moving. That leaves Greene/Brown/Gaborik as possibilities to clear the cap space. Greene isn't enough cap on his own. Trading Forbort would have to include Brown or Gaborik from a cap perspective. There is no other way to get it done. Greene + retention on Landeskog could work, but somehow I doubt that's happening.

Ok, but I see no reason Colorado would agree to Brown + Forbort for Landeskog as the meat of a trade. They don't need Brown or Gaborik to replace Iginla, and it's not like Forbort is some overwhelming defensive presence at this point. There's no obvious trade chips between the Kings and Avs, since the Kings have cap issues, and their young defensemen aren't all that young, or all that proven.

Like you said, Forbort is actually one of the players on the roster with a good production/contract ratio. Brown and Gaborik make it very difficult to add anyone, nobody wants them, and Toffoli and Pearson still need to be signed.

Also the extra years of Brown's contract aren't that big of an issue. There'll be contract inflation with the cap going up and he could always be bought out at that time.

Sure, Brown's contract could be bought out, but why would another team take on that burden, even at 50%, if they don't have to? The Avs don't have to trade Landeskog, and I would think they don't have to take Brown in a deal for him.

Sake of argument, Forbort for Landeskog is the deal. It doesn't work for the Kings on the cap, so Brown has to go with him. You have to give the Avs more for the Brown part of the equation. They can sign a guy at $3m for 1 year that can bring what Brown does today. More than what they would get from Brown, the Avs would be helping the Kings out. That's not going to be cheap.

 

[KingsFan7824]

As for defense being so much more important than wing: this team had great defense in 2012 and '14 but weren't going anywhere until they added scoring.

An important point. And they outscored Chicago in 2014, more so than stopped the Hawks offense.

Plus they had more room to work with in those years. Kopitar, Martinez, Muzzin, they were all cheaper, even just a couple years ago. Hell Brown was still on his previous deal in 13-14. Getting Gaborik at the deadline, plus Columbus retained salary.

If you want Landeskog, something will have to give on the roster. You're going to have to trade someone you don't want to, with or without Brown/Gaborik involved. It only gets more expensive if you have to include one of them.

 

[Cook24]

Kopitar for Landeskog and Duchene. Lolololol im losing my mind

 

[AlphaBravo]

I would prefer to do a Barrie for Muzzin or Martinez deal instead. He will provide scoring on the back end and finally give us a solid second pairing with lefty-righty combo.

Martinez playing on his off side is not working. He does not mesh well with Muzzin, and it is a waste of his talents to play bottom pairing minutes. Getting Barrie (although not as strong defensively as Muzzin, but greater offensive upside), will give us a solid second pairing.

There may need to be pluses on each side to balance salary and make trade even, but a deal around Barrie and Muzzin/Martinez makes more sense for this team. We will be very fragile if we simply trade Muzzin/Martinez for a winger.

 

[Omni Owl]

Barrie would make more sense, but that deal doesn't help the Avs, who need to add another Dman on top of their core. I do agree that we shouldn't give up a Dman for another winger, it just doesn't add up value wise, even it is for Landeskog.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I wouldn't mind either Landeskog or Duchene. I feel like Landeskog is more of a Lombardi/Sutter kinda guy; smart two way player, leader, physical. Although the idea of having Duchene would be interesting. Speedy, skilled, player. That'd also give us three elite centers with Kopi/Carter/Duchene. Obviously if we wanted one of these players we'd have to give up Muzzin or Martinez. Preferably Martinez even though he is having a career year.

Landeskog/Kopitar/Gaborik
Pearson/Carter/Toffoli

Gaborik/Kopitar/Carter
Pearson/Duchene/Toffoli

Forbort/Doughty
Muzzin/McNabb