Could the Los Angeles Kings be a serious contender for Mikko Rantanen? (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Could the Los Angeles Kings jump into the Mikko Rantanen NHL trade sweepstakes?
“I heard Kings today, and you know what, it makes sense!”, an NHL source told RG on Saturday night. “They’ve [Los Angeles Kings] got some really good pieces that Carolina likes, I know.”
Ironically, this came a day after Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman opined on the 32 Thoughts Podcast he hosts with Kyle Bukauskas that the Kings' archrival, the Anaheim Ducks, could be an NHL trade suitor for the Rantanen.
“If Rantanen does get to the trade market, I wonder if a non-contender that wanted him for the future would get involved,” Friedman said to Bukauskas during their latest podcast episode.
“There would have to be permission to talk and the knowledge he’d sign. This is purely in my head, but a team like Anaheim which wants to take another step and took big swings last summer (Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos). That might also improve Carolina’s return. But, again, this is all speculative. The goal is to keep Rantanen.”
After further calls and texts looking into that and possible Rantanen trade suitors, the Kings would indeed be interested in acquiring the Hurricanes and former Colorado Avalanche superstar winger.
“They’re looking to go big, and he’s on their radar,” another trusted NHL executive source told RG on Saturday night when talking about the Kings.
"They’re so set up in the middle, and yet, they’re in on [Jake] Evans too. What does that tell you? They’re serious, and Rantanen brings them to another level. I know they’ve poked around, but we’ll see where it goes.”
Another NHL executive source agreed that the Kings and Hurricanes could be a match for a Rantanen trade.
“I would keep an eye on Jordan Spence there,” the source pointed out. “The Canes are trying hard to start building up that blue line again. I’ve heard Spence out there. It’s going to take more than that, for sure. …but that’s a guy they’d want and is out there.”
Jordan Spence was the Kings' 2019 fourth-round (95th overall) pick. A deal between the Kings and Hurricanes will likely require a first-round pick and another roster player or top prospect going to Carolina. As Friedman pointed out, salary cap retention will help a potential trade between both clubs.
“The Hurricanes have three retention spots. If they want to flip Rantanen, it’s a little over $2.3 million,” Friedman said. “Anybody can [trade for] that. You’re going to be able to find a way to handle that.”
Rantanen was acquired by Carolina from Colorado in a three-team trade on January 24. In that trade, the Chicago Blackhawks retained 50% of his $9.25 million salary cap hit.
If the Hurricanes retained an additional 50%, the cost for an acquiring team to get Rantanen would drop to approximately $2.3 million. Per Puckpedia, the Kings currently have $4.4 million in NHL Trade Deadline cap space.
The NHL Trade Deadline is next Friday, March 7.
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James Murphy
