Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
As the Los Angeles Kings slip further and further down the Western Conference standings, the team may be looking to make a move coming out of the All-Star Break to salvage their season. Rumors are circulating that the Kings could move struggling center Mike Richards to the Toronto Maple Leaf in exchange for struggling Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf as both teams look to right the proverbial ship. While it’s currently just an unfounded rumor, it’s at the very least an intriguing possibility for the Kings.
For starters, the Kings have lacked a solid No. 2 defenseman behind superstar Drew Doughty since Slava Voynov left the lineup amid his legal troubles. Phaneuf could slide into that role and with Doughty shouldering the bulk of the load simply play his game and not worry about being the top gun.
It’s also worth noting that Phaneuf had arguably his best year as a pro as a 20-year-old rookie with the Calgary Flames playing for current Kings coach Darryl Sutter. Landing on a winning team in a market that is much more subdued than Toronto with his first NHL coach at the helm could be a best-case scenario for Phaneuf.
On the other hand, trading for Richards would make almost no sense for the Leafs as he’s struggled on a great Kings team in the laid back hockey market that is L.A. Putting him into a big-time role on an otherwise atrocious Leafs team in the pressure cooker environment of Toronto could be a recipe for disaster.
Factor in that Richards is an Ontario native and the historical track record of players going “home” ending poorly and it has all the makings of a train-wreck — something the Leafs have become all too familiar with in recent years.
Ideally, if the Kings made the move, Phaneuf could spend the next few weeks/months getting his game back on track and helping the Kings return to the playoffs. If Phaneuf could do that, the Kings would then be able to trade him and his remaining six years and $42 million this summer with his stock again on the rise.
While it may sound counterproductive to trade Phaneuf mere months after acquiring him, the Kings could restock their farm system and use the salary cap room to re-sign their own free agents. Buying low on Phaneuf in the form of an underachieving Richards could really open the door for some intriguing long-term and short-term scenarios.
All of this is likely for nothing as the trade foundations haven’t gotten past the speculation phase. For such a deal to happen it would require Dean Lombardi to be shrewd and the Maple Leafs to make a really stupid decision — two things hockey fans have become accustomed to over the past few years.
