The departure of Slava Voynov leaves the Los Angeles Kings with one less defenseman, but also with new cap space to fill it.
Will they add anyone to the roster?
The Kings did sign Christian Ehrhoff this summer. Though he shoots left, Ehrhoff can play the right side, like Voynov did. So theoretically L.A.'s top four could be Drew Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez and Ehrhoff. Which isn’t all that bad.
But assuming they’d like to dial back Doughty’s ice time, and taking into account that injuries do occur, are they comfortable with Brayden McNabb, Matt Greene, and Jamie McBain as their fifth, sixth and seventh d-men? Remember that they don’t have Andrej Sekera or Robyn Regehr anymore.
Perhaps someone like unrestricted free agent Marek Zidlicky could make sense as insurance. The 38-year-old is reportedly mulling a couple of offers. A right shot (same as Voynov), Zidlicky split last season between New Jersey and Detroit, totaling 34 points in 84 games, including an impressive 20 points on the power play.
Or, the Kings could just go with what they’ve got, saving their cap space for later in the season (or to pay for a Mike Richards buyout, should they lose his grievance), while hoping that a youngster like McNabb can keep progressing.