Dancing in the Reign: Trade Deadline Tracker

The Los Angeles Kings resume play tonight to the face Pacific Division foe Dallas Stars in Texas. With that, could it be the final game for any players in a Kings uniform? Probably not. The Kings, who have been in the mix involving trade rumors throughout the season, are quiet as the trade-deadline looms just over 24 hours away. I’d lean heavily toward saying the Kings stick with their current roster as few players are available; And not many, if any, are worth breaking into our current line-up for. Dealing for a winger and/or an extra defensemen is enticing, but not completely necessary. Sure, it would be comforting to acquire a blue-liner to add stability with an aging Sean O’Donnell and the dissapointing Randy Jones for the playoff push; But yet again, not a necessity.

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J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that “Kings GM Dean Lombardi isn’t expecting to make a blockbuster move”

“The Kings have salary-cap space and, for the first time in years, have won enough games to be considered buyers as Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline approaches.But Dean Lombardi is still maintaining his usual conservative approach when he scours the trade market. And this year, the Kings general manager said, “there’s not a lot out there.”

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And about that winger Kings fans have wanted? Not so fast, it looks like Justin Williams’ rehab is going quite well. Williams is traveling with the team on their two game road-trip, and looks like he’ll be back in a Kings uniform this season. Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider is seeing promising strides toward his recovery:

“It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that Justin Williams might far exceed my expectations for his return. Since his injury, I’ve considered the idea that he might return this season to be doubtful at best, but given the way he has looked in practice for the past few days, I’d have to change my opinion of that.”

Hammond also stressed the importance of William’s travel with the team even though he won’t dress. Neither Terry Murray or Williams have expressed a time-table for his return, but all of the current signs are encouraging.

“Williams made it through his first full practice on Monday morning and accompanied the Kings on their two-game road trip. Williams still has quite a bit of conditioning work to do, but injured players typically don’t travel, so Williams’ presence on the road indicates that the Kings are very serious about his return.”

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As the clock ticks on the deadline, keep it here at Kingscast for updates on Kings transactions. Like Lombardi said, don’t expect a blockbuster move; but acquiring a role player is still a possibility. Will any Kings be playing their final game in the black & purple tonight? Who would you like to see the Kings acquire, if anyone?