Both teams have soon to be Norris winning UFA's that may both need a change. The EK saga is well documented and now according to Eklund (I know I know, I don't trust him either, but the rumors got me thinking) "Doughty has grown increasingly frustrated by the lack of team depth, speed, and scoring with the LAK"

With that being said, would both teams benefit from swapping former Norris winners?

Cap hit wise you're talking about a difference of $500k for one season. Doughty would be closer to his hometown and EK would be with a more competitive team that has pieces to win now. I also don't think Ottawa is as bad as they were this year and blowing up the team isn't a great idea

Thoughts?

Neither team does this IMO. Both players are too big a part of their teams to be traded for each other. There's no reason to just trade one for another IMO.

I'm not arguing that they are not a big part of the team, but lets be honest....

-Many believe EK is done in OTT and is getting traded. OTT will offer him a low-ball deal and then turn around and say they did everything they could to re-sign him
-Doughty 6 months ago said he'd leave in 2019 if he felt the team wasn't heading in the right direction....they proceeded to get swept by Vegas

Why would Doughty want to play for the Sens though?

Whether he wants to or not doesn't matter lol. He has zero say where he gets traded (if he gets traded). It is close to his hometown though and I like I said, I don't think OTT is as bad as they played this past season. If your OTT you're taking a gamble that he helps get things back on track and maybe if the success is there you can re-sign him long-term. If not you still have one of the top TDL pieces to ship out for a package of solid picks/players/prospects

He has 100% say actually. Ottawa isn't going to trade their best player for someone who isn't going to resign there. Doughty and Karlsson both have lots of leverage as to where they end up, and nobody would acquire either of them in a trade if they weren't 100% sure they would resign with them.

Ottawa will offer him a huge contract. I know you probably think Eugene Melnyk doesn't want him for anything more than 8M a year or whatever, but they'll do everything they can to sign him. Same with Doughty. He's also said he wants to stay in LA.

I'm not talking about anybody, I'm talking about OTT & LAK.

Right now it sounds neither will be with their respective team after 2019, so what the difference? That's what I'm getting at, the situation for both teams doesn't change with the trade. If you're either team what's the draw back?

LAK - Doughty leaves in 2019 or trade for EK and he leaves in 2019

^same goes for OTT. At least here you have a chance to see if the player works in your system and you want to build around. If it doesn't work out, you're in the same situation you are now and you trade them for the best package you can get at the TDL.

Then what's the point?

What I'm saying is, why would Doughty want to go from LA to Ottawa? I think most people would see that as a downgrade. If Doughty and/or Karlsson leave it will be to a team where they can compete for the cup.

When I hear OTT say they'll offer fair market value, it makes the red flags go up. Why wouldn't they offer him a fair deal? Why the need to come out and say they would? To me it seems like they're priming things up to make EK look like the bad guy if/when he's not longer with OTT.

As for LA, sure Doughty loves it in LA. Like he said 6 months ago though, if he doesn't feel like the team is going in the right direction he'll leave. LAK just got swept by Vegas and barring any major moves they'll look relatively the same as most of their guys are signed.

I'm not saying they should do it, but if the feeling is neither team will be able to keep the player long term, why not swap players. To the teams you still have a great piece to trade if things don't work out and if they do, you have your #1 D-man going forward.

Again it doesn't matter if he wants to go to OTT. He has no clauses in his contract that allow him to veto a deal. He may only be in OTT for half a season and traded at the TDL or maybe OTT finds something, becomes contenders and they get Doughty to stay long-term.

I still don't think that swapping them would help if they're both gonna go sign with other teams. I think they both re-sign with their current teams anyway.

No it matters a lot. My point is, nobody is going to acquire a guy like Doughty if they aren't 100% sure he wants to play for them. Even if it is for Karlsson why would Ottawa do it? It would make the most sense to move Karlsson for picks and prospects and then fall lower in the standings and get a higher draft pick.

Shaking up your team while not really changing the situation of one of your best players. Again what's the downside?

If it doesn't work out, you're in the same situation as you are now. If it does workout, then maybe you've got a piece to move your franchise in the right direction.

The downside is that those guys are their teams' superstars. They should at least try to re-sign them first.

lol the tank theory....its worked well for EDM, BUF, ARZ....

For OTT, what if Doughty comes in and team bounces back, becomes a contender and in turn Doughty wants to stay and you can re-sign him. The part you seem to be missing is if it doesn't work for OTT, they can still trade him at the TDL for picks and prospects, just like you said

And as I said if the feeling is that they can't....

If you can re-sign your guy you do. This only happens if both teams feel like they can't sign their guy

For sure Ottawa could still move him. I just don't see the point, I mean does trading Karlsson for Doughty make Ottawa better? Probably not. So why bother. It's better just to draft high and get a top prospect at the draft.

Would it make them worse?

Karlsson is the better offensive players, but Doughty is probably the better defensive player. Doughty averaged 2:45 of SH TOI this season...Karlsson averaged 1:27 of SH TOI. OTT PK this year ranked 22nd in the NHL and they allowed the 2nd most goals. Doughty would help things defensively while taking a small hit offensively.

Okay, but would it make them a playoff team?

To me it makes no sense for the Kings and more sense for Ottowa.

Kings Perspective: Erik Karlsson is an amazing player and amazing defenseman, he is known for his offensive abilities and how he can take over a game offensively while still playing outstanding defense. Put him in the Kings defensive system, I don't trust that he will put up the same numbers year in and year out. Throwing a more offensive minded d-man into a defensive system wouldn't prove to be the best move. While some people would argue that he would bring more all around offense to the kings, my counterpoint is that he wouldn't have the speed there with him to flourish. Drew plays in all situations and most of the time has either Kopitar's or Carter's line out there with him, which outside of Carter, sometimes Iafallo, Reider and rare flashes of Pearson(assuming the Kopitar line is Iafallo-kopi-brown and carter's -pearson/reider-carter-toffoli) he has nobody that will be able to match and play with his speed. Looking at the rest of the lineup (especially defensively) the only other one who would be able to go stride for stride with him is Kempe (who I think really needs to be playing with better linemates than Lewis and Clifford if the Kings want him to develop... but that's beside the point). Plus he wouldn't have a defensive partner that would be able to match that offensive game, except maybe Martinez. With all that being said I think that would be somewhat of a downgrade for the Kings.

Ottowa Perspective (gonna be a lot shorter considering I am a kings fan): Drew Doughty shows flashes of being able to take over offensively. Take him out of a defense-first system and let him fly around out there, he will probably do great, simply put.

To me it makes a lot more sense for Ottowa and not a lot of sense for the Kings.

Maybe, maybe not. You still have the play the games lol. Is OTT a playoff team with Karlsson right now?

Nope, and I don't think Doughty would be what pushes them over the top. Therefore this trade wouldn't make sense for both parties. If Ottawa is going to move Karlsson it would be in their best interest to do it for a package of picks and prospects.

Great post and that's why I posed the question. LAK and OTT fans have a better feel of what the team need is/how they like to play. You hit it on the head with the Karlsson to the Kings idea, in that (my thinking) he maybe able to bring more all-around offense to the Kings.