THE Kiss“The needs are obvious with the NHL deadline on Friday, but is the price too high?” For the Ducks, the question is to make a boost to put an end to their drought in the six -year qualifying series or continue their construction for the future?
The Kings entered the third weekend in the Pacific division, five points on Vancouver for the last automatic place in the division in the playoffs. But after being eliminated by Edmonton In the first round in each of the last three seasons, simply going to the playoffs is no longer enough. The only way to show progress is to go beyond the first round for the first time in more than a decade. And this team may need help.
The biggest desires of the Kings are a second -line center and a right shooting winger who can help a low offense that ranked 24th in the 32 -goal and 30th team league on the power game, where he had a success rate of 14.7%, entering the match on Saturday evening with St. Louis Blues.
The Kings did not win as a post-season series in Rob BlakeEight seasons as managing director, leaving him on the hot seat like another series of first round with Edmonton is looming. A team spokesperson refused the opportunity to see Blake to discuss his plans for the deadline for trade, and coach Jim Hiller Offered little understanding of their plans.
“Blakey and I are talking about it,” he said. “These guys have been working on this for a long time; Talking, meeting, watching videos, assessing players. We are just going with what we have. If we can add someone who helps us, we will take this too. »»
Last season, with only $ 2.5 million in ceiling space on the deadline, the Kings stood Pat, then made their usual early release of the playoffs. This season, Blake has almost double the space with which to work – in addition to the knowledge that the ceiling will increase by $ 7.5 million before next season and $ 25.5 million in the next three seasons.
During last week, the Kings began to position themselves as potential players on the deadline for trade. They need a reliable top-six top-anvant to complete Quinton ByfieldAlex Laferriere and Warren Foegele – and Blake becomes desperate because the very praised byfield, 22, would have emerged As a play, kings could be ready to abandon.
Among the players to which the kings were linked are the Ryan Donato center of the Blackhawks of Chicago and Luke Kunin, a shot on the right with the Sharks of San José. A more ambitious approach could yield to the front Rickard Rakellto whom the reconstruction of Pittsburgh's Penguins could be willing to separate. Rakell, who spent 10 seasons with the Ducks, can play on one or the other of the wings and has 25 goals and 24 assists this season.
In addition to Byfield, the Kings have the 21 -year -old defender Brandt Clarke to offer in the trade, although the team has repeatedly declared that Clarke would not be moved.
If the question for the Kings is to know how much they can pay for what they need, the Ducks must decide if they are contained to completely sit the deadline. Fans who have suffered for a long time have not seen a playoff match – owes less a winning season – since 2019. But the Ducks, the second team of the West conference at the Western Conference at 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, entered the match on Saturday evening with Chicago just six points with a layer of Joker with 24 games to play.
Over the past three years, the director general Pat Verbeek has carefully nourished a young talented nucleus led by 20 -year -old striker Leo Carlsson, the 21 -year -old defender Pavel Mintyukov and the 22 -year -old MCTAVISH striker. The team is still a few seasons by being a legitimate competitor of the Stanley Cup, but he followed the rhythm of the Verbeek plan, which was to play significant matches in the section this season.
And Verbeek said he would not deviate from this strategy now.
“Plans can have small variables in things, but ultimately, when I went on this path, there will be a project and a development, a project and a development, then you add around the edges,” he said. “Our young players, there is still a lot of development. So throwing your tokens, we are not at that time. “”
Verbeek has a lot of ceiling space – about $ 12 million – and first round choices this year and next to the trade, so next week's trip to Western Canada could change its reflection. The Ducks play Edmonton and Vancouver, which they follow in the standings, in consecutive matches. If they take three points from the pair, the pressure to move can increase. Losing both and the team will probably remain Pat.
Among the players with whom Verbeek could separate into an agreement is the goalkeeper John Gibson31 years old, the only Holdover of the last team of Ducks eliminatory series. Gibson, who missed the last three games due to an upper body injury, was to start on Saturday, perhaps a hearing for a job.
“Something should bring my socks to fall,” said Verbeek about what it would take to conclude an agreement.
“It's a lot of hypotheses. If this happens, if it happens. A week ago to the deadline for trade. I will continue to assess so far.
