On the Los Angeles Kings …
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: The Los Angeles Kings will be protecting Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin for the expansion draft, with Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli and likely Tanner Pearson up front.
If they decide to protect Brayden McNabb, they could lose one of Kyle Clifford, Marian Gaborik, Trevor Lewis, Dustin Brown, Jordan Nolan. If they don’t protect McNabb, they could protect three of the above forwards.
LeBrun thinks Brown will be exposed, but add they could also make a trade, with the Kings retaining some of Brown’s salary.
On the Tampa Bay Lightning …
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: Wonder if Ben Bishop‘s pending free agency and uncertainty of his future is causing to some of struggles. He’ll could be traded by the deadline, or let walk after the season. Bishop needs to improve his play to help secure a bigger pay check next season and it would also help increase the number of teams that might be interested in trading for him.
Fans would like to see the Lightning make a move, but is seems teams are waiting until closer to the trade deadline due to salary cap issues and teams giving up their playoff hope.
“We’re constantly looking at ways to improve our team,” Yzerman said. “We’ve lost seven out of eight. But it really doesn’t change what we’re trying to do or what we’d like to do. We have areas we’d like to address with our team, whether that’s from within the organization with the players we have, or seeing if we can do that out there on the trade market. If there’s something that makes sense, we’re prepared to do that. But it’s difficult to find a partner for it to make it work. Everybody has concerns about the salary cap; everyone has concerns about the expansion draft. It is difficult to make a trade.”
Yzerman wouldn’t say what their team needs are, but LeBrun is sure they would like another top-four defenseman. The Lightning aren’t the only team interested in adding a top-four defenseman.
“Again, we’d like to think we know what our team needs,” said Yzerman. “We’d like to think we know our players well and how we can help our team improve. But as I’ve said time and time again, I’ve got to find someone who’s willing to work with me.”