NHL Trade Rumors: Jets’ Dustin Byfuglien Reportedly On Kings’ Radar

The Los Angeles Kings are again legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season after surprisingly missing the Stanley Cup playoffs during the 2014-15 campaign.

Despite leading the Pacific Division all season with typical strong defensive play, stellar goaltending and a much-improved power play, the Kings still have a need on the blue line for another top-four defenseman. Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin are an elite duo and excel on the first pairing, but the talent level drops off after them.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Kings general manager Lombardi is interested in Winnipeg Jets D-man Dustin Byfuglien — the best blue liner who could be available before the Feb. 29 trade deadline.

The biggest hurdle in a potential trade, LeBrun says, is the salary cap.

“First of all, Kings are right at the cap,” LeBrun said Tuesday on TSN 1260, as transcribed by Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot. “So for them to absorb Byfuglien’s cap number, even this late in the year, there would have to be guys going back. And how do the Jets feel about that. The Kings don’t have a first-round pick. And maybe that’s the death knell for them.”

The Kings traded their 2016 first-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the Andrej Sekera trade last season and dealt their 2015 first-round selection to the Boston Bruins in the Milan Lucic trade.

General Fanager estimates the Kings will have just north of $2.8 million in cap space at the deadline, but that’s just a little more than half of Byfuglien’s $5.2 million cap hit.

There’s always a chance, LeBrun notes, that Byfuglien isn’t even moved at the deadline. He’s able to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, but it’s been reported that Winnipeg will make an attempt to re-sign him. Keep in mind the Jets must also re-sign captain and top-six forward Andrew Ladd, who’s a UFA this summer, as well as young defenseman and pending RFA Jacob Trouba, who has top-pairing talent.

Winnipeg, in many ways, will impact what level of activity happens at the trade deadline.

Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images