Kings Trade Rumors: Should Jake Muzzin be moved for Gabriel Landeskog?
By Pamela Rios
The latest Kings trade rumors have Jake Muzzin at the center of them.
Trade rumors have begun to heat up around the NHL and the Los Angeles Kings are involved.
It’s reported that the Kings have heavy interest in Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog.
However, Colorado’s high asking price in return for their 24-year-old captain has also been reported.
For the Kings, many have pegged Jake Muzzin to possibly be that defenseman for the deal.
It’s safe to say that before this year the thought of the Kings trading Muzzin was nearly unthinkable.
Unfortunately, this season has seen the 27-year-old prone to some shaky, and at times terrible, defensive play. He also currently owns a nasty -11 rating.
With the Kings in the midst of a playoff push and suffering from a lack of adequate top six production all year outside of Jeff Carter, Muzzin might have to be the inevitable casualty.
It’s important to note that the Kings should have enough rising defensive talent. Players like Derek Forbort and Kevin Gravel to compensate for Muzzin’s departure, should it happen.
However, the fact that it would take much more than Muzzin to acquire Landeskog is where a deal would not be wise for LA.
General Manager Dean Lombardi will most likely be forced to give up yet another first-round draft pick, something the Kings simply can’t afford given their thin prospective pool.
If Lombardi can somehow negotiate keeping a first-round pick, the deal should by all means get done as soon as possible.
Sure, the Kings’ blue line will be without one of its long-time members.
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But the team may finally gain the perfect winger for Anze Kopitar it has been looking for in Landeskog.