The Los Angeles Kings trade rumors surrounding Trevor Moore just became considerably more interesting as training camp approaches.
This isn’t simply offseason speculation being recycled for another headline. On September 1, Bleacher Report ranked Moore No. 5 on its latest NHL Trade Targets Big Board, building on an August report from Ryan O’Hara of The Hockey News that identified Moore as one of two Kings veterans whose futures could be worth watching.
There is also a roster-construction reason the chatter makes sense.
NHL.com currently projects Trevor Moore on the Kings’ third line, behind a top six featuring Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Erik Haula and Mats Zuccarello. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has only $1.775 million in projected salary-cap space according to PuckPedia.
Put everything together, and Moore suddenly looks less like an untouchable part of the Kings’ core, and more like a valuable roster chip general manager Ken Holland at least has to consider moving.
Why the Los Angeles Kings Could Consider Trading Trevor Moore
Moore remains a useful NHL player.
The 31-year-old winger is coming off a season in which he recorded 13 goals and 32 points in 69 games. More importantly, some of his underlying possession numbers remained stronger than the traditional stat line suggests.
PuckPedia lists Moore with a 54.0 percent expected-goals share and 55.0 percent Corsi share in 2025-26. Those numbers suggest Los Angeles generally controlled play effectively while Moore was on the ice, even as his offensive production declined.
That distinction matters.
I don’t view Moore as a declining player the Kings simply need to dump. I view him as a potentially misallocated asset.
Moore produced a career-high 31 goals and 57 points in 2023-24, followed by 40 points in 2024-25 and 32 last season. His offensive trajectory has unquestionably moved in the wrong direction, but his speed, defensive utility and ability to play either wing could still be valuable to another contender.
Trevor Moore’s Recent Production Trend
Trevor Moore Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 485 | 107 | 140 | 247 | 38 |
| Playoffs | 35 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 5 |
Trevor Moore’s Contract Makes a Trade Easier Than It Looks
This is where the Trevor Moore trade rumors become particularly intriguing.
Moore carries a $4.2 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season and becomes an unrestricted free agent afterward. His current contract no longer carries trade protection.
That’s significant.
Los Angeles wouldn’t need Moore’s permission to complete a trade, and $4.2 million is hardly an impossible number for teams seeking an experienced middle-six winger.
It’s also meaningful money for the Kings.
If Los Angeles traded Moore without taking salary back, the raw cap calculation changes dramatically.
That would give Holland almost $6 million in gross projected flexibility before accounting for a replacement player.
For a team already carrying a full 23-man roster, that flexibility could become extremely valuable.
What Is Trevor Moore Worth in an NHL Trade?
This is where my evaluation differs somewhat from simply looking at Moore’s declining point totals.
I don’t believe Los Angeles should move him simply to clear money.
His underlying numbers, positional versatility, and reasonable contract still give him positive trade value. If the Kings trade Moore, they should be receiving an asset that helps either the current roster or their medium-term retooling.
Here’s how I currently grade Moore using the NHLTradeRumor.com Trade Value Index.
That 76/100 score is my model, not a reported asking price.
The biggest drag on Moore’s value is obvious: he’s 31, and his production has fallen in consecutive seasons.
The counterargument is equally clear. Teams don’t acquire players solely because of point totals. Moore can skate, forecheck, kill penalties, play either wing, and has demonstrated that he can score when deployed higher in the lineup.
That combination should create a market.
My Read on the Trevor Moore Trade Rumors
From a roster-building perspective, Moore is exactly the type of player who can unexpectedly become available even when his team doesn’t necessarily want to lose him.
That’s because this isn’t only about Trevor Moore.
It’s about opportunity cost.
NHL.com’s projected lineup currently has Panarin, Byfield and Kempe on one line and Fiala, Haula and Zuccarello on another, leaving Moore projected alongside Scott Laughton and Alex Laferriere on the third unit.
If that’s where Moore ultimately lands, Holland has to determine whether a $4.2 million third-line winger is more valuable than the combination of the assets he could receive in a trade and the cap flexibility created by moving him.
My answer right now?
Los Angeles shouldn’t be rushing to trade Trevor Moore, but Holland absolutely should be listening.
Training camp may ultimately determine whether this rumor disappears or becomes one of the more interesting Kings stories of the fall.
For now, Trevor Moore is officially a name worth watching.
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