NHL Trade Deadline: Los Angeles Kings

The Kings went into last offseason looking for a big-time scorer, they missed out on Ilya Kovalchuk, and they head toward the deadline still on the lookout for an elite goal scorer.

And yet Los Angeles has pretty much gotten used to the idea that it's a grind-it-out group without a big superstar, and the Kings can get along just fine like that. At this point, obtaining a star scorer is pretty much of a stretch.

"The way we're set up, we're not a one-man show, anyway," said Justin Williams (photo above), who is one of three Kings with 20 goals. "We don't have a guy who's going to score 50 goals or put the team on their shoulders. We're more a team that plays together, everyone chips in and we'll work to shut you down."

Wouldn't a big-time scorer look nice in that purple uni, though?

"Certainly adding a 30- or 40-goal scorer, you might want that, but it's tough to find those," Williams told FanHouse with a laugh. "I don't know where you'd find that, but if the front office did that, great and if not, we're going to keep on doing what we do best."

Williams has been on the other side, twice traded before the deadline, and he said that this can be an unusual time for a player who's on the block. He learned about both deals through the TV, before the team called to inform him.

"That is a little frustrating," he said. "I was even traded when I was hurt – that was surprising. But if a team trades for you, that means they want you. So far, it's worked out for me. I like both places I was traded."

Is there a Player X with tremendous scoring skills who might also like L.A.? Considering the Kings' slide down the scoring stats in the past month, they'd better hope so.

NEEDS

Goals, goals, goals. After sticking near the top half of the league in goals per game much of the first half, the Kings have now slid to 21st. Their defense is keeping them afloat, barely. Will they have to part with some of it to add some offense? Speculation has centered around Ales Hemsky, and he would give them more fire-power, but he's not a 30- or 40-goal scorer and the asking price is thought to be high. Brad Richards might be available, but he might require an even bigger haul in return.

THE VERDICT

Dean Lombardi didn't want to overpay Kovalchuk during the summer, and that turned out to be a reasonable call. Will he be as cautious with the Kings' assets, particularly on the defensive side, or is L.A.'s need for scoring so great that he'd part with a blue-liner? He reportedly wouldn't move Jack Johnson for James Neal.

The vibe from SoCal is that the status quo might be A-OK – but with the Kings sitting in a clump just barely in playoff territory, bold action might be the better way to go.