With the NHL's Olympic break and the trade deadline approaching, the Los Angeles Kings have been linked to a couple of forwards.

There have been plenty of reports regarding New York Rangers star left winger Artemi Panarin and Vancouver Canucks left winger Evander Kane.

On Friday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliotte Friedman, the NHL insider took a deeper dive into where the Kings' organization stands in terms of how they would like to operate going into the deadline.

Friedman said that in relation to the trade rumors for Kane from Vancouver, Los Angeles' front office was asking themselves the "hard questions."

"There were some rumors about the Kings and Evander Kane," Friedman said on the podcast. "One of the things I heard is that the Kings were looking at where they are, and they were saying, 'Does it really make sense for us to give up some of our assets for short-term fixes? (Does) it really makes sense for us to give up our future assets at all?'

"I believe internally that organization has been asking some hard questions about where they really are and what is their smartest path," Friedman added.

The Kings Should Stay Away From Canucks' Evander KaneThe Vancouver Canucks are tearing down their roster, and Evander Kane is a name that has come up in trade rumors. The Los Angeles Kings reportedly have interest in the veteran forward, but acquiring Kane may not be the smartest move for a team on the outside looking in.

For the past month, the Kings have been hopping in and out of a playoff spot due to inconsistent play, and they have one of the league's worst offenses. They are tied for the second-least goals in the NHL with 134, and are bottom five in power-play percentage at 16 percent.

Despite offensive struggles, Los Angeles isn't in the worst spot to qualify for the post-season with all circumstances considered. The Kings are two spots out of the post-season, but are just two points behind the Anaheim Ducks, who own the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and have two games in hand on their state rivals. 

Friedman also admitted that the Kings have trouble scoring, and while the team has talented offensive wingers in Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, Panarin could help with those struggles.

Why The Kings Shouldn't Pursue Artemi PanarinThe New York Rangers are retooling and have made Artemi Panarin available ahead of this year's NHL Trade Deadline. The Los Angeles Kings are among a plethora of teams with interest in acquiring the four time all-star. However it may not be the best course of action for the Kings to take.

However, along with the interest in Panarin comes the consequence of acquiring an aging player who is currently 34 years old and wants to sign an extension with whatever team he gets moved to this year. 

The Sportsnet insider noted that the possible extension for Panarin, and how big it may be, is what concerns Kings GM Ken Holland.

Nonetheless, it was reported on the podcast that Los Angeles would be open to signing Panarin to an extension as part of the deal. Even with their concerns about how that deal could play out, there's no doubt they'll consider different outcomes for the Rangers superstar.

"If Panarin drops on (the Kings') laps, I would be very curious to how L.A. would say, 'no, we're not doing this,'" Friedman said.

For the record, Panarin is in the final year of a seven-year contract that pays him $11.6 million against the salary cap. He also has a full no-move clause on his deal, meaning he can pick and choose where he would like to go.

The former Calder Trophy winner has 19 goals and 57 points this season for the Blueshirts in 52 appearances.

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