There's already heartburn from some corners of the hockey world about the Los Angeles Kings' acquisition of Dustin Penner from the Edmonton Oilers because it's a substantial return for the Oil. TSN was first out of the gate with the news, as Penner went for defenseman Colten Teubert, drafted No. 13 overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft; a first-round pick in 2011 and a conditional third-round pick in 2012.
Penner's signed through 2012 at a $4.25 million cap hit, and the Kings get themselves a 6-4, 245-pound winger (through he doesn't always play that large) with 53 goals in his last 142 games. He's exactly the kind of depth scoring the Kings have coveted, he's familiar with the Western Conference (and with the Los Angeles area as a former Duck) and has playoff experience.
Again, you have to give to get. They have other defensemen in the pipeline. They're dealing a first-round pick that won't be in the lottery and is in what's considered a weaker draft. And they add a strong offensive player, and a goal-scorer, to a mix that needed it, especially on the left side.
We're going to
rate this one Three Milburys. If Penner pushes the Kings to great heights and
re-signs with Los Angeles, they could come out big in this one. Or, on the flip
side, he could play out the string and the Oilers end up with an NHL defenseman
and whatever they get in the first round.
Kudos to Kings GM Dean Lombardi for finally, finally making a big move at the deadline and giving up the future to get him. And we can sum up why he won this trade in the short term in two words: Brayden Schenn.