NHL Rumors: Kings targeting Sam Reinhart, and Flyers likely to land Seth Jones
Anthony Scultore
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The Kings were reportedly in on Jack Eichel since last season. Is it possible that the communication between Buffalo and L.A. were misread? Could they have been eyeing Sam Reinhart since the trade deadline? Let’s dig in.
NHL Rumors: Are the Kings targeting Sam Reinhart?
The Kings were rumored to have a made an offer for Jack Eichel. They are also believed to be a top landing spot for Seth Jones. Very busy time for L.A. it seems.
Recently, Darren Dreger said that the Kings could actually be trying to add two top six forwards via trade or free agency. One potential target via free agency is Zach Hyman of the Toronto Maple Leafs who is expected to make at least $6.5 million on his next deal. When it comes to a trade, RFA Sam Reinhart may be the best fit for a team looking to get better and younger at the same time.
Drew Doughty at the end of the season was asked about wanting to start winning. There’s no point just waiting for these prospects to develop when you’ve got guys in their prime,” the Kings defenseman said. “Guys that are hungry to win and guys that are sick of losing so, yeah, we’ve got to bring guys in.”
Would Rob Blake move Alex Turcotte and a draft pick to land the 25 year-old forward? When he was asked if he agreed with Doughty’s sentiments he said, “100%! The feeling is the same in the front office… We need to add to the roster to get better.”
A summer of change is coming for the Kings and Reinhart may be a key piece.
Flyers likely landing spot for Seth Jones
Seth Jones will have no shortage of suitors this summer. I noted that the Flyers and Stars would be two teams that will likely make offers for him at the draft. However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic put the Kings at the top of the list.
Spent part of Sunday asking around the NHL about the anticipated level of interest in Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones, who has reportedly informed the club that he has no intention of re-signing with Columbus and is likely to be traded this summer. Most clubs will let the dust settle for a day or so after big news breaks, but two clubs reached out to Kekalainen on Sunday. A flood of calls is expected beginning Monday or Tuesday after the holiday weekend. If you’re the betting sort — and isn’t everybody these days? — the early favorite appears to the Los Angeles Kings, given their stable of prospects and their pile of draft picks. Chicago and Montreal are expected to be major players, too.
The Athletic
Although according to Elliotte Friedman, he would “not be shocked at all if [Jones] ends up in [Philadelphia].” The Flyers are expected to trade young center Nolan Patrick. After scoring 61 points in his first two seasons, he missed 2019-2020 due to migraines. He returned last season and recorded just 9 points in 52 games. If the Flyers want to acquire Jones, it will take more than Patrick, but it is a starting point.
