We’ll get to how this affects the Los Angeles Kings in a minute, but you can start with your preferred exclamation of surprise, confusion, and exhilaration at the following news:
To recap:
– Oilers trade Taylor Hall to NJD for Adam Larsson
– P.K. Subban moved to NSH for Shea Weber
– Stamkos is staying in Tampa Bay— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) June 29, 2016
Amazing that the conclusion of the Stamkos saga has been relegated to page 3, but there you are. Let’s review:
Edmonton Oilers trade F Taylor Hall to New Jersey Devils for D Adam Larsson
This one has the most direct impact on the Kings. Primarily because the Kings no longer to have to face one of Edmonton’s four #1 draft picks, and somehow, the one who got traded wasn’t Nail Yakupov. Edmonton might have improved their defense — a defense which gave up 20 goals to the Kings in five games last season — but it’s bizarre that a return of Adam Larsson is the best GM Peter Chiarelli could do.
What this also means is that Milan Lucic is signing with the Oilers. At least, he’d better be.
Would Chiarelli even get to walk into the office if this happened? His desk should be in a box on the front steps. https://t.co/gvB41XhMVZ
— Copper & Blue (@CopperandBlue) June 29, 2016
Rumors have been that Lucic already has agreed to terms with Edmonton. Whether or not that’s true, this trade points to the likelihood that Lucic will be heading up north. That might not affect LA too much, aside from the fact that the Kings now have to play against him four or five times a year. However, it does stiffen the competition for other free agent forwards such as Loui Eriksson, Andrew Ladd, and Teddy Purcell. And… gulp… Matt Martin.
Finally, 28 other fanbases are asking themselves whether their good-and-young-but-not-#1-defenseman would have been enough to land Hall. The good news for those fanbases is that Chiarelli appeared to have eyes only for Larsson.
“It’s a need-based trade. I feel very strongly about this player. I feel he’s barely scratched he surface.” — Chiarelli on Larsson
— Mike Halford (@HalfordPHT) June 29, 2016
That doesn’t mean that you won’t hear lots of people asking whether Alec Martinez (Edmonton wouldn’t have done it) or Jake Muzzin (LA probably wouldn’t have done it) could have landed Hall.
Montreal Canadiens trade D P.K. Subban to Nashville Predators for D Shea Weber
Subban’s departure had been rumored for a while, but after draft weekend came and went without anything crazy, Marc Bergevin claimed he hadn’t shopped his franchise defenseman. Oops!
This means more Subban and less Weber at Staples Center. Predators matchups aren’t gonna get any less annoying for us! The Kings are just getting bruised by a different player’s slapshots, that’s all. Let’s just be glad Subban didn’t end up in the Pacific.
Steven Stamkos re-signs with Tampa Bay Lightning for 8 years, $68 million
If Lucic going to Edmonton escalates the competition for forwards in the UFA market, Stamkos staying in the Sunshine State puts that competition into overdrive. There’s no way July 1 is as crazy as today was, but we could see some awful contracts given out!
By other teams!
Hopefully!