REPORT: Kings and Flyers Talking Trade
According to NHL Insider Frank Seravalli, the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers have engaged in trade discussions revolving around one of the Flyers’ forwards. It’s important to note that Seravalli started his career covering the Flyers and still has strong connections with the franchise.
Seravalli had this to say on his show, The DFO Rundown at the 39-minute mark:
“I think one team that's been more active on the trade front than we'd realize has been the LA Kings. They've popped up in a few different conversations over the last week.
In terms of targets for LA, no names were mentioned, but two players Seravalli excluded as a possibility wereTravis Konecny and Tyson Forrester:
I don't think it's dead, but I do think they talked to the Flyers about some of the forwards that they have… I'm not saying Konecny. I don't think they're trading Konecny... No, I think there's a whole group of guys that teams have been calling about. Frost, Farabee, Scott Laughton, Bobby Brink. The one guy that they're not willing to entertain a conversation on is Tyson Forrester.”
For the Kings, the sense is that they’ll be waiting for the return of Drew Doughty to see what the team looks like at full force, but the need for another scoring forward (ideally a right shot) has been evident since the summer. Of the players Seravalli named, Bobby Brink is the only right shot, but doesn’t fit the bill as a scorer. He is on pace for 11 goals, 25 assists, and 36 points – hardly an upgrade on any of LA’s current top-nine options.
The same can be said for virtually all the forwards Seravalli mentioned. While Laughton could reach the 20-goal mark this season, the 30-year-old's ceiling is likely in the 40-point range. Frost and Farabee are interesting, but both are underperforming this season, with the latter seeing a significant drop off in production while carrying a $5 million AAV for another three seasons. That being said, Farabee would likely be a sought-after asset if he were indeed available.
It will be curious to see if the Kings and Flyers can add another trade in their hallowed player swap history. Based on Seravalli’s report, they’ve almost certainly had conversations, but it’s difficult to find an impactful fit in terms of production and salary.