“We’re not taking away from this team anymore.”

As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches, LA Kings GM Rob Blake hints that any potential trades may not include current roster players.

Recently Rob Blake talked about the Mikey Anderson extension and what it means for the team and the player in the future. In that media availability, Blake was asked about the upcoming trade deadline and if he was looking to add players to the roster.

“We’d like to if it fits the right way,” said Blake. “I think we’re real comfortable with where we are sitting right now.”

Of course, the LA Kings had been without the likes of Trevor Moore, Gabriel Vilardi, Arthur Kaliyev, and Carl Grundstrom for weeks. Only recently have we seen two of them (Moore and Kaliyev) return to game action. Having players come back from injury is going to be big for this team.

“Getting these injured guys back, I think, solidifies the forward group,” said Blake. “How they slot in (to the lineup), we really haven’t had that since probably the first couple weeks of the season. So that would be nice to get that going.”

One comment stood out to me, and perhaps I’m reading into it a little too much, but Blake did talk about players on his current roster.

“To be clear, it has to make our team better,” said Blake. “We’re not taking away from this team anymore.”

Interesting.

If we go back to the trade rumors of Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun from last weekend, the name being mentioned the most was Brandt Clarke. But that was squashed relatively quickly as it was noted that the LA Kings notified Clarke that he would not be traded. Quinton Byfield has also been untouchable throughout this process.

One could wonder, as I know I am, how do you get a player like Chychrun without Clarke or Byfield? Well, the options that seem to make the most sense to be the centerpiece of a deal would be Gabriel Vilardi or Arthur Kaliyev. But if Blake says they are “not taking away from this team anymore,” does that mean those two are also off the table?

This would theoretically open the door for a deal that could potentially include prospects, Alex Turcotte and Jordan Spence. While one on their own may not be enough of a centerpiece, perhaps the duo could be?

This is, of course, just spitballing, but I did find that comment – in conjunction with the forward group being solidified with the return of injured players – noteworthy.

Maybe it’s nothing, GMs aren’t exactly here to lay their cards out for the media, and Blake has done a good job keeping things pretty close to the vest during his tenure.

All of this does point to the team at least actively trying to add a defenseman (whether that’s Chychrun or someone else). That, I think, is a fair takeaway from those comments.

Blake was also asked if he views the team as a Stanley Cup contender.

“Um, I think we can compete with some of the top teams; they’ve shown that over the time,” said Blake. “I think our defensive structure…I’d like to see our group, with this offensive group, here for a little while. We’ve got a big 27, 28; I think it’s 27 games left here just to get in, so that’s the battle we’re looking at right now.”

That’s a lot of words that do some dancing, which is expected from a GM. Ultimately, Blake is right. They can compete with the top teams (at least in the West), but whether or not they’re true Cup contenders, we’ll see.

What the team decides to do at the deadline could help answer that.