1 trade Kings must make before NHL Olympic break

The Los Angeles Kings are clinging to the final Western Conference playoff spot as the final week before the Olympics begins. They are getting Anze Kopitar back just in time for the break, with his retirement looming over this season. The Kings have to make a trade soon to make the most of the franchise legend’s last season, and St Louis Blues center Robert Thomas is the perfect fit.

The Blues are spiraling out of playoff contention in the Western Conference and should be headed for a rebuild. Thomas is under contract for $8.125 million per year through 2031, with a full no-trade clause. So Thomas would have to accept a trade to Los Angeles, or anywhere, to be moved. But the Kings have some assets that could make this move plausible.

The Kings have enough cap space to get Thomas without giving up a roster player. With Kopitar coming off the books after the season and the cap exploding, they will still have money for summer spending with Thomas on the roster. They could use a center, which Thomas is, but the price will be high.

The Kings have extra picks in the second, third, and sixth rounds in the 2026 NHL Draft, in addition to their own first-round pick. Adding Thomas to the young players currently on the roster would allow them to give up a forward prospect in the trade. The Blues should be looking to restock their pipeline in any way they can, and trading Thomas is the best way to do it right now.

The Kings will give up their 2026 first-round pick, Dallas’ 2026 third-round pick, and prospect Francesco Pinelli for Thomas. The former second-round pick has 20 points in 37 games in the AHL at 22 years old this season.

The Kings have a massive hurdle to get over

If you wanted to spin the recent history of the Kings positively, you would say they’ve made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. But the reality is that they have lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in each of the last four years. The Kings have changed coaches and general managers in an effort to get past Edmonton. They must make a significant trade to improve their playoff odds.

The 2025 offseason was the first one under new lead executive, Ken Holland. He had a Hall of Fame career building the Detroit Red Wings, flamed out with the Oilers, and has now latched on with the Kings. In his first offseason, he signed multiple older defensemen to long-term contracts, which have not worked out. Cody Ceci, Brian Duomolin, and Joel Edmundsson are not performing up to their contracts.

That has left Holland as a punching bag for Kings fans and the national media. Rightfully so, as the Oilers immediately started making the Stanley Cup Final once he left. He can reverse that conversation with a Thomas trade, something that could swing Stanley Cup odds if he went to the right team.

There are not going to be a ton of marquee players available in free agency this summer. After many of the top players signed contract extensions in the fall, the 2026 free agent class was decimated. The Kings already have a lot of cap space and will have even more come the offseason.

The Kings have a chance to send out Anze Kopitar on a great playoff run. They may not be the most talented team in the Western Conference, but they owe it to their captain to try for a deep run. If they can knock off the Oilers on the way, it would be a great sendoff.

The Kings should also be trying to avoid the final spot in the Western Conference Wild Card. That team will have to face the high-flying Colorado Avalanche, while the top Wild Card team gets the Pacific Division winner. The Pacific bracket provides an easier path, and it all becomes easier with Thomas on their team.

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