this might be the worst Ekholm trade I've seen yet

No thank you from buffalo.

Maybe we should just be thankful they're not retaining half his salary for no return whatsoever, like LA is with Quick here?

Quick isn't trash and the Kings certainly aren't going to pay to get rid of him. They don't need the cap space and are perfectly happy to sit on his contract and have him mentor Petersen until he retires. He's a fan favorite and will have his jersey retired and likely get a statue in front of Staples Center.

The Kings will happily retain 50% of his contract in a deal, but they're not moving him unless they get something good in return. Downgrading from a 3rd to a 5th to move him makes zero sense for LA.

The Kings have no use for Andersen, as Petersen has shown that he's ready to be the goaltender of the future for the Kings.

Kings Decline. Jonathan Quick still has some game in him, especially during the playoffs. During the playoffs Quick has been consistent for the most part. We have tons of cap space so taking on Quicks contract does not affect us. (Especially retaining) If the Kings were going to head in the direction of signing a few top free agents then it might make sense since Anderson contract will expire end of this season. However, the Kings will not focus on free agency, they will focus on growth of prospects. Although, it would make sense to trade Carter instead to free up cap instead of Quick. Sabourin will not even play a single game in a Kings uniform so that makes no sense as well. We will definitely also not be losing a 3rd rounder for 2 players that we absolutely don’t need.

However, I do enjoy these posts. 👍🏼

I agree with you. The only way this trade makes sense is

Quick (retain 50%)

Anderson + 2nd round pick.

Quick gives Toronto a much better chance at the cup than Anderson will ever. I’m also sure Toronto does not mind losing a 2nd rounder when Quick will definitely increase chances of winning the cup.