Pacific Notes: Kings, Kraken, Reimer

The Kings have been shopping around for help on the back end and could stand to add some goaltending depth for the playoff run.  It could be a one-stop shop for Los Angeles as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that they’re showing interest in a package deal with Columbus that would see them add blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, both pending unrestricted free agents.  Gavrikov is logging a career-high 22:20 per night this season for the Blue Jackets and would fit in nicely into their top four while Korpisalo, who was also scratched tonight for trade-related purposes, has put up a .911 SV% on a rebuilding Columbus squad.  The two carry a combined cap hit of $4.1MM which is more than Los Angeles can currently afford although it’s worth noting that the Blue Jackets have two remaining retained salary slots remaining.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

• Seattle’s second season has gone quite well as the Kraken find themselves holding down the second and final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference heading into tonight’s action. However, in an appearance on 93.3KJR today (audio link), GM Ron Francis indicated that he isn’t planning any major changes and that if anything happens, it would probably be “tweaking around the edges”.  Seattle is projected to have the ability to add someone making nearly $4MM on deadline day, per CapFriendly, so it’s possible that they look to add a rental or two to give themselves some more depth for the stretch run without making any changes to their core.
• It’s quite possible that the Sharks moving pending UFA goaltender James Reimer before Friday’s trade deadline. If that happens, the veteran told Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group that he would “seriously consider” returning for what would be a third stint with the organization.  Reimer has a 3.25 GAA with a .895 SV% in 30 starts this season and with a cap hit of $2.25MM, he could be viewed as capable veteran insurance for a playoff-bound squad.