The LA Kings are a curious team with a curious plan...

If you ask me Lombardi is either going to be declared a genius or run out of the NHL on a rail...The fact is, this season like last season the Kings are coming to the UFA game later than everyone else, and what sits out there is really not what fits their needs. And their needs are many...that is IF you consider icing a team that can compete in the NHL this season a priority

As of now, according to our own CAP CENTRAL, the Kings have 18 players under contract for a grand total of close to 30 million of cap space. They are still more than 10 million away from the salary floor and being allowed to ice a team. A team not at the salary floor must forfeit it's games.

Granted, a few Kings players, O'Sullivan and Stoll are still RFA's but honestly how much are we talking about here for those two players?

Oh and by the way, the Kings don't have a coach, or a #1 goalie yet really...

So what is Lombardi doing?

Well if last year is a model. He is building his team a new way in the new NHL.

Lombardi last year signed Stuart and Modry to one year deals...and then moved both players to contenders for draft picks. It kills two birds with one stone. You get cap space eaten up and in the end you stockpile towards a future run.

So who this year makes sense in LA?

"How about Khabibulin?"as one source suggested to me late last night.

Almost 7M in cap space, final year of his deal, and VERY tradable at the deadline to the right team who sees their cup hopes slipping away...

And he is a goalie...

Also this morning I am hearing that Nylander's days in Washington may be coming to an end. The signing of Fedorov today essentially puts Nylander on the outside looking in. But Nylander, if healthy as I believe him to be, brings a lot to a franchise still. The Rangers definitely had a few moments last year where they thought long and hard about Gomez vs. Nylander.

Two teams that have interest in Nylander, Atlanta and Florida, are in division, but Ottawa I am told, as well as Edmonton could be making a push this afternoon.

Your "Let's Hit the MATS" Update..

A source today continued to hint towards Mats making up his mind, "by the end of the month" adding, "They may tell you later to take the pressure off, but a source in Montreal tells me that the Habs and Mats are in 'regular contact.'" Ah so nice to be regular!

Boyle's comment on the Thrashers..

Last year many comparisons between Boyle and Brian Campbell were made. While I don't dispute that Boyle was wrongly pushed into a corner by Tampa who threatened to waive him if he didn't waive his NTC (does anyone believe that bluff for a second, btw, I mean look what they got for Boyle) I want to draw this comparison in the two players.

Brian Campbell: Personally calls Atlanta to thank them for the offer after accepting his offer to Chicago.

Dan Boyle: Compares being waived and picked up by Atlanta to pretty much a nightmare...

I am up in Buffalo today touching base with some folks, so there will be no Buzzcast. But I should get some nice info for you all

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