Kings Gameday: Grabbing more D

Since the first week into the season, the rumor mill has been pumping out trade ideas hard and fast. Because of this perpetual behavior, sometimes the rumor mill is firing off speculation that's a little halfhearted. But the Kings needing some more D has been pretty consistent.

Getting D can be a tricky process. You don't just want any D. You want D that is strong, and knows when to thrust into action on offense. Not some old, immobile D that can't even perform on the big stage. Weak D has been the downfall of many a team after all. They claim it's never happened to them before, but we are catching on, Penguins. Anyways, last time the Kings got some D though, they shot their wad at the deadline for a guy who dumped them without even calling back. You can rest assure, Lombardi will want some consistent D this go-around.

One name getting some mentions has been the Winnipeg Jets' Dustin Byfuglien, one of the biggest members in the NHL. And while I'm not his biggest fan (admittedly I preferred Evander Kane and look how that turned out) the sheer idea of landing Byfuglien is enough to get some fans excited and standing up. But do the Kings have the goods to get that sort of D? How much are they willing to give up? Yes, that addition probably gives them the strongest and most overwhelming D in the league, but it's all about how the team uses it.

It's important to remember that you can't play around with your D too much. Is it worth the cost of pumping up the D? Is it even possible since the Kings have depleted themselves so often and so recently? Does this move even erect another championship team? Or does the team go limp at the critical moment? One thing is for certain, and that is that Dean Lombardi has to be careful with his timing or he may have a real mess on his hands.

After steamrolling western Canada, the Kings toyed around with the Flyers for a while instead of burying them outright. That, or maybe they are better than the Oilers, Flames, and Canucks. Now the the Kings get to square off with the much tougher Central Division. Except it's the Avalanche, but even they got a better record than most of the Pacific Division.

PreDICKtion: penis penis penis penis penis. Dwight King gets a hat trick. Kings lose 5-4.