3 LA Kings Not Expected Back Next Season

The Los Angeles Kings were bounced in six games by the Edmonton Oilers and now the Kings head into what's expected to be a very busy offseason. General manager Rob Blake has his hands full trying to re-tool on the fly and look for the Kings to be busy at the NHL Entry Draft with some wheeling and dealing. Here's three Kings players who aren't expected back next season:

Sean Walker

The Kings will be moving Walker this summer, it's almost a sure thing. The team has a slew of right-handed defensemen who are NHL ready and Walker will be the odd man out. He's a steady depth d-man who can chip in offensively as well. Walker is best suited in a third-pair role and LA will have a number of suitors on the trade front as right-handed defensemen who are mobile are still hard to find. Just not for the Kings apparently.

Cal Petersen

Look for the Kings to get aggressive at the draft and try to move struggling goaltender Cal Petersen. The starter turned AHL netminder has two seasons left on his contract at $5 million annually. It won't be easy for Blake to move the southpaw, but it's not impossible. Look for a high draft pick or top prospect to be thrown in as a sweetener to facilitate the deal.

Alex Edler

One veteran who isn't expected to re-sign in LA is defenseman Alex Edler. The Kings are basically going to have the same forward group back next season, however their back end and goaltender could look a lot different and that includes Edler potentially heading back to Sweden to play out the final season(s) of his career.

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