The Los Angeles Kings have had a quiet offseason by NHL standards. No blockbuster trades, no massive free agent splurges, no moves that set the hockey world on fire. And according to insider Elliotte Friedman, that might be precisely the point.
On his 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman laid out a theory that reframes everything Los Angeles has — and hasn’t — done this summer. The Kings, he argued, are deliberately preserving cap flexibility, keeping their books clean and their options open for what he described as an “LA-type move.” The kind of move that doesn’t just improve a roster — it redefines a franchise. Two names came up immediately: Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
“Maximum flexibility” — that’s how Friedman described the Kings’ strategy, and two words haven’t sent the hockey world into this much speculation in a long time.
Neither player is available right now, and there’s no guarantee either ever hits the open market. McDavid is under contract with the Edmonton Oilers, and Matthews remains in Toronto. But the suggestion from one of hockey’s most connected insiders — that Los Angeles is quietly setting itself up to enter that conversation the moment an opportunity arises — is the kind of rumor that tends to take on a life of its own.
The Matthews angle has genuine legs. Born in California and raised in Arizona, Matthews has deep personal roots in the American Southwest. His family still lives there, and it was in Arizona that he first fell in love with the sport, captivated by Alexander Ovechkin’s play as a kid. The Arizona Coyotes are no longer part of the NHL landscape, and if Matthews ever decided he wanted to return west, Los Angeles would be one of the most compelling destinations imaginable. The market, the weather, the star power — it all fits.
GM Ken Holland has run this particular playbook before. His tenures in Detroit and Edmonton were marked by a willingness to hoard cap space and wait for the right superstar opportunity rather than patch holes with expensive mid-tier signings. The moves he has made this summer — bringing in Corey Perry, Mats Zuccarello, and Erik Haula on modest, team-friendly deals — fit that model almost perfectly. They add depth and experience without handcuffing the organization to long-term financial commitments. Haula, who signed a two-year deal worth $3.6 million annually, even cited a conversation with childhood friend and Kings forward Joel Armia as a key factor in choosing Los Angeles. The two were roommates during the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’s exactly the kind of low-cost, high-character addition a team makes while it waits for something much bigger to become possible.
Whether that bigger move ever materializes is another question entirely. McDavid and Matthews are generational talents, and franchise players at that level rarely become available. But if one of them does, and if the Kings have managed their cap the right way between now and that moment, Los Angeles will not be sitting on the outside looking in. Friedman’s theory is speculative — he’s been clear about that. But when a credible insider connects two of the sport’s biggest names to a franchise quietly clearing the runway, it’s hard not to pay attention.