What's driving the train on TDA is what you all complain about, a veteran blocking prospects.
When they added Walker, a veteran RHD who should have significant value at the TDA given he'll now be two years past ACL surgery, and still put up xCFrel + 0.50, xGFrel +1.40 last year (albeit in a sheltered, 3rd pair role), second best among starting Kings D-men, TDA became superfluous.
While Walker and Seeler are best suited to 3rd pair roles, Walker will probably pair with York or Zamula to start the season, depending on what happens with Sanheim. Risto will pair with Sanheim or Zamula, and Seeler with Attard/Grans. The wildcard is Andrae, especially if he has to return to the SHL if he doesn't make the team.
So fitting in TDA would be difficult, you could try him with York and maybe that would work, or Seeler, which did work in a 3rd pair role.
But you want York to be the PP1 QB - remember, this is a rebuild?
So there is little reason to bring TDA back, for one thing, Walker is more likely to have TDL value, how many veteran D-men do you want to start?
And Walker will be a much better partner/mentor for young LHDs like Zamula and Andrae.
I think they'll buy out TDA if they can't work out a deal, but since the retention slot is regained after the season, and there is no other contract for which they'll need one this summer, it's not a big deal. They're not going to want to retain for 2 years with TK, or 3 with Laughton. Nor will they need to, those are below market contracts, at worse, you take a smaller contract in return.
