Just because the NHL decided to grant the Los Angeles Kings salary-cap relief for suspended defenseman Slava Voynov doesn’t mean the Kings are going to use that financial flexibility right away.
“I think we’re OK right now in terms of numbers,” GM Dean Lombardi told the L.A. Times. “The other thing, it’s not just we’re going to go out and blow the cap space to blow it. It still has to be the right guy. ... Let’s get real. Finding top-four defensemen, they’re not available. Because a lot of times to be able to do that you’d better have a guy to replace him because top-four guys are so important to each other’s teams.”
The Kings’ active roster, as of today, includes seven d-men: Drew Doughty (who’s been playing a ton), Alec Martinez (out with a finger injury), Jake Muzzin, Robyn Regehr, Matt Greene, Brayden McNabb, and Jamie McBain.
When Voynov was suspended, he was averaging 23:11 of ice time.
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