After bombing in the search for some forward help in the UFA market, the team realized they could look towards more defensive help and possibly move an incombent defenseman or two for that needed scoring help. The price for a solid defenseman seemed more reasonable than some of the deals forwards were getting and LA finally made a splash into the free agency market with 2 major signings today.
In are defenseman Phillipe Boucher and Mattias Norstrom. Boucher will receive 8 million per season for 3 years with a 12 million dollar signing bonus and Norstrom will receive 5.5 million per season for 2 years with a 5.5 million signing bonus. With the signings on the horizon, the team had already moved out defenseman Ed Jovanovski for Jason Arnott.
As it stands currently, the team has an excellent top 4 in Kimmo Timonen, Philippe Boucher, Mattias Norstrom and Trevor Daley. Rory Fitzpatrick and Ossi Vaananen can fill the bottom pairing role.
The team has also started to build a group of top 6 forwards. Jason Arnott will likely center a line with Martin Erat and Michael Ryder on his wings. As it stands, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Bill Thomas are going to skate on the 2nd line although the team would like to push Thomas down but that is looking unlikely at this point. The team will likely move a defenseman, either Timonen or Daley to fill the 2nd line center hole that is currently present.
The bottom 6 has been fairly set already with the likes of Scott Nichol, Denis Arkhipov, Boyd Gordon and Jeff Friesen bringing an excellent defensive game to the team.
Erat / Arnott / Ryder Thomas / x / Ponikarovsky Freisen / Arkhipov / Gordon Rycroft or Hilbert / Nichol / Ryder
Norstrom's a perfect #3 
for the second pairing and penalty kill.
