NHL Trade Rumors 2016: Kings Interested In Dustin Byfuglien
Team president and general manager Dean Lombardi of the Los Angeles Kings is seemingly not satisfied with the lineup he has right now, and the fact that his team is in first place in the Pacific Division that he's looking at getting Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien via trade.
The Kings GM is never backing down from any opportunity to finally grab a Stanley Cup and adding a top caliber talent like Byfuglien is a huge step toward that direction. Of course, the Kings themselves are armed with the right tools and pieces to be able to give the Jets some interesting prospect in return. However, everything remains a rumor up to this point; though there's no denying how interesting it would be should both teams come up with something in the next few weeks.
One thing that makes perfect sense is that the 30-year-old American is a great fit for the Kings. He's one of the best defensemen in the league right now, and yes, Los Angeles should learn a thing or two about his inherent physicality in the ice. The Kings already have the best numbers in defensive plus remarkable goaltending and power play, but they could use an upgrade on the blue line, particularly a top 4 defenseman.
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But to make this trade possible, there are so many hurdles to pass. For one, Jets are obviously more interested in re-signing Byfuglien. That's something really hard to convince otherwise because Winnipeg needs him more than any team in the league. However, their biggest problem is: Can they afford him? The defenseman will be expecting a bigger payday this time as he awaits free agency. His contract with the Jets expires at the end of the year and the team will have to come up with a lucrative offer to get him back.
LA's most obvious issue is how they will be able to fit Byfuglien in their salary cap. It shouldn't be a problem if they have lots of cap space, but they don't. They might be able to work well within the $3 million range, but Byfuglien is expected to have a cap of more than $5 million.
So at this point, this is all but just rumors. Just as everyone else is doing right now, we'll have to wait for further developments as the season progresses and the needs of every team out there change.
