LA Kings Lose Defenseman on Waivers to Western Conference Rival
According to Elliotte Friedman's daily NHL waiver wire update, the Nashville Predators have claimed Andreas Englund from the Los Angeles Kings.
As we enter the two-week break for the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, most players may be away from the ice, but managers can still complete trades.
A lot of things could happen in the next two weeks, considering that many teams will do all in their power to fill holes in their lineup ahead of the playoffs.
It wouldn't be a risky bet to say that the Los Angeles Kings could be among these organizations, considering the way they have been playing this season.
Currently holding on to third place in the Pacific Division, the Kings must be careful if they want to remain in the playoff picture, especially with the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames looking to make a push before the end of the season.
Adding talent to the lineup could help the team finish the season strong and go into the playoffs with momentum.
With Drew Doughty's return, the Kings had a surplus on the blue line and had to do something. Many thought they would make a trade to add depth to their forward group, but the team decided otherwise.
Yesterday, the Kings placed the 29-year-old defenseman Andreas Englund on waivers after reports confirmed they weren't able to trade him and his two-year, $1M AAV contract set to end this summer.
Now, Elliotte Friedman revealed that Englund was claimed by the Nashville Predators.
Here's what he posted on X:
This doesn't confirm if the Kings are planning to make a trade, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with that extra contract spot and the million available on the salary cap.
This season, Englund scored one point, a goal, in 11 games with the Kings.
In his career, he has taken part in 173 NHL games, tallying 18 points.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Tom Wilson | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Alexander Ovechkin | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Brendan Gallagher | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Josh Doan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Victor Hedman | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack McBain | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Strome | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Guentzel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Carcone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Christian Dvorak | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zemgus Girgensons | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nick Paul | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cam Atkinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| John Carlson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nick Desimone | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 56 | 39 | 14 | 3 | 81 | |
Capitals | 55 | 36 | 11 | 8 | 80 | |
Oilers | 55 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 72 | |
Stars | 55 | 35 | 18 | 2 | 72 | |
Golden Knights | 56 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 72 | |
Panthers | 57 | 34 | 20 | 3 | 71 | |
Hurricanes | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Wild | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Maple Leafs | 55 | 33 | 20 | 2 | 68 | |
Avalanche | 57 | 33 | 22 | 2 | 68 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||