LA Kings Need to Spend Big Money to Reach the Cap Minimum

The LA Kings need to make a few more signings during this off season. The team is well under the cap floor of $40 million, and will need to spend big on a few players to reach it. The Kings are so far below the cap, that there cap room ($28.944 million) is actually grater then their current cap hit ($27.756 million).

However spending another $14 million before the season starts may not be the easiest task ever, as most of this off season's free agents have already signed. Mats Sundin, one of the few remaining big names is likely to retire, leaving the only option to get big name players through the trade market.

Well there are a few teams that need to trade to get under the cap, the Kings are just as desperate to get over. However, teams well over the cap sometimes agree to poor deals, there is no reason for teams under to have to do that. Unlike the teams that are over a team that is under the cap has an easy way out so they can move on without being forced to give up any promising prospects.

The way out is to sign a middle of the road player to a ridiculous amount of money. Think of a player like Michael Ryan. He is an unsigned free agent this season, and well not quite a big name player is good enough to play in the NHL, and is actually better then most of the players that the Kings have on offense. Last season with Buffalo, Ryan spent most of his time as a third or fourth line player, and should be able to be signed somewhere for around $1.1 million a season. But if the Kings need to get up to the cap floor, there is nothing stopping them from offering Ryan a one year deal in the $7 million range.

Now obviously this would be over paying, and even Ryan would be aware of this. However, it works out for both sides so there is no reason that they wouldn't agree. Ryan would certainly welcome the money even if he knew he didn't deserve it, and the Kings would hit the floor, without being forced to give up any prospects in the trade market. The deal would certainly stick out as odd, but it is a better solution then to trade away the future of the franchise for an overpaid veteran.