from Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,

The sorting of Western Conference playoff hopefuls resumed Monday with two trades. The Los Angeles Kings moved standout defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs, signaling their intention to sell off assets and rebuild.

“I think we’re in a position where we’re looking up every day in the standings,” Kings general manager Rob Blake told reporters Monday. “We’re not happy about where we are, we’re not comfortable with where we are, and now we have to make decisions for the best of the organization going forward.”

Earlier in the day the Dallas Stars reacquired defenseman Jamie Oleksiak from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Stars want back into postseason play and they will continue to seek upgrades.

“We’re in a (wild-card) playoff spot and we haven’t played for eight days,” coach Jim Montgomery told reporters after the Stars got back to work this week. “That means that If we can get the consistency level that we want, we should be able to make the playoffs.”

Which other bubble teams will go for it? The Minnesota Wild, currently sitting third in the Central Division, have an impatient owner and a first-year general manager. So look for them to keep pushing.

Expect the Colorado Avalanche to do the same.

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