Phaneuf is overrated. Sure, he can deliver some big body checks. But is he otherwise especially effective as a defenseman and tough to play against? Not really. 6.5m for a few highlight reel hits doesn’t add up. In fact, it would be a waste. We can get a better return if we address more pressing needs - i.e. first & second-line scoring. I wouldn’t mind parting with JJ and Fro (did I just write that?) if a reliable, youngish elite scorer were to come our way. Phaneuf? No thanks.

Wouldn’t the Kings’ net cap hit on such a trade only be $2 mil? My recollection is that Frolov is making $2.5 mil and JJ $2 mil. So subtracting them and adding Phaneuf would add $2.5 mil net?

That being said, I agree that the Kings would be better off trading for secondary scoring.

Or, as Plan B, I would rather trade Fro for draft picks, even 2-3 years down the line. Now that the Kings are clearly improving, I think their biggest challenge will be maintaining organizational depth once they reach the point where they are no longer drafting in the top 5.

Yeah, I’m not exactly sure I agree with myself on this one. It sort of assumes that Frolov is going to test the UFA market regardless (and so his trade value is diminished) as well as assuming that Phaneuf is an upgrade over Johnson, which I think is probably true but might not be. Johnson is our talented beast with huge upside and problems, and Phaneuf is theirs.