In light of the Nashville Predators trading Yaroslav Askarov to the San Jose Sharks. It is clear that the Sharks are trying very hard to deepen their already stacked prospect pool.
The Los Angeles Kings should take advantage of this and attempt to trade their pending RFA forward Arthur Kaliyev to the Sharks.
At this point, it is so late in the off-season, it doesn’t seem like the two sides are close. Additionally, Kaliyev hasn’t proved enough at the NHL level to be offered an offer sheet. However, it is still a possibility; it doesn’t seem likely.
If the Kings can move Kaliyev to the Sharks, and we use the Askarov trade as the outline. The Kings may need to be willing to take on less than a high-end pick, or they give up another piece alongside Kaliyev to get that higher-end pick.
The Kings are without a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, which could easily be the return for Kaliyev if they can get Sharks GM Mike Grier to take him on. Although, if Kaliyev sits out at the beginning of the season, GM Rob Blake may need to reduce his price.
All in all, the Kings should look at the Sharks acquiring younger talent from other NHL teams and target them as their trade partner to offload Kaliyev from their roster.
