NHL Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Kings and Teams That Must Deal

Time continues to tick by toward the NHL trade deadline, with teams around the league finally deciding whether to buy, sell or sit tight as Feb. 27 draws near.

But while a number of clubs will likely cling to the fence until its too late to make changes, expect these three teams to spend the next week and a half wheeling and dealing to improve their chances of hoisting the Stanley Cup, be it this season or years down the line.

Los Angeles Kings

The time is now for the Kings to make a move toward a deep postseason run. Merely reaching the playoffs may have been enough to satiate the thirst of their fans in each of the last two years, but failure to win a series will hardly do now, especially after GM Dean Lombardi shook up his roster to snag Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers this past summer.

Unfortunately, the Kings' offense has fallen well short of expectations thus far, posting the fewest goals of any in hockey and putting pressure on Jonathan Quick and LA's defence to make up the difference. A deal for a big-time goalscorer—like, say, Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets—could change all that, and with a quality keeper like Jonathan Bernier to dangle, the Kings might just be able to pull it off.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks, tied in the points standings with the Kings, have the exact opposite dilemma of their West Coast brethren—they can score the puck plenty well but can't seem to stop it.

Or even get it out of their own end, for that matter.

If Chicago is to contend for the Cup just two years out from its last title, it'll need some serious help on the back end of the ice. As such, don't be surprised if the 'Hawks give up one of their offensive phenoms for a defensive star in a blockbuster deal, perhaps even sending Patrick Kane to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Ryan Miller, as Eklund of Hockey Buzz has suggested.

Tampa Bay Lightning

On the other end of the spectrum, kudos to Steve Yzerman for realizing that the Lightning, at 13th in the Eastern Conference, are hardly Cup-carrying material and jumping into the seller's market with the reckless abandon of a disgruntled day trader.

OK, so maybe the Lightning GM isn't that intent on a firesale, but the fact remains, the Tampa Bay front office is looking to rebuild a bit and, according to the Tampa Bay Times, may dangle Pavel Kubina and Dominic Moore as bait for prospects.

Should the Lightning successfully trade those two (and perhaps others), they figure to find themselves back on the path to serious contention much sooner than those teams waffling over the pursuit of a No. 8 seed in the postseason.

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