Kings acquire left wing Dustin Penner from Edmonton
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The Kings finally made a splash on the NHL’s trade deadline day, acquiring left wing Dustin Penner -- a former Anaheim Duck — from Edmonton for minor-league defenseman Colten Teubert, a first-round pick in the June entry draft and a third-round pick in 2012. If the Kings win the Stanley Cup this year, Edmonton would instead get a second-round pick that year.
The Kings were told Sunday that Dallas center Brad Richards would not be available to them. Unlike last summer, when they could not sign Ilya Kovalchuk and had no backup plan, they came up with a viable alternative.
Penner was a member of the Ducks’ Stanley Cup championship team in 2007, using his big frame -- he’s 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds -- to lurk around the net and score 29 goals during the 2006-07 season and three in the playoffs. He isn’t fast, and speed is one of the commodities the Kings need. But he can score -- he shared Edmonton’s team lead with 21 goals and had 39 points in 62 games -- and is physical too.
His motivation has been questioned, but when he’s playing hard, he’s tough to stop.
Penner, 28, has two seasons left on the contract he signed when the Oilers lured him away from Anaheim with a five-year, $21.25-million offer sheet. His cap hit is $4.25 million this season and next.
The trade deadline has passed, but many deals filter through in the following hours. The Kings are probably done, though.
-- Helene Elliott