The Los Angeles Kings made one notable deal ahead of the trade deadline this year, sending forward Jeff Carter to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In exchange, the Kings received a conditional third-round pick in 2022 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2023.
Dealing Carter away was a tough but necessary move for the Kings to make. He was with Los Angeles for their Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 and recently, he's been a key veteran on a young team. Despite his age, he still scored eight goals and 19 points in 40 games this year, which made for solid secondary production.
But as the Kings continue to look towards the future, moving Carter was yet another step in their rebuild. Especially with Alex Iafallo being re-signed, it was important that Los Angeles was able to keep adding assets for the future to strengthen their chances of contending down the road. It also gives the team an extra spot in their lineup, which allows Los Angeles to continue developing their younger talent.
As for the return, I think the Kings have to be pretty happy about it. While the third-round pick next year will only upgrade to a second-round pick if Pittsburgh reaches the Cup Finals this year, the fourth-round pick in 2023 upgrades if Carter plays 50 games next season. This means it’s fairly likely that Los Angeles will receive two third-round picks for a player who I thought they wouldn’t even be able to move in this market, even with the retained salary.
While it’s unfortunate to see a veteran like Carter go, it was certainly the right move for the Kings and the team got good value in the return. Though the Kings weren’t overly active at the deadline overall, the one deal they did make was worthwhile.
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Were you surprised Jeff Carter was traded at the deadline?
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