Dancing in the Reign: Kings acquire Jeff Halpern from Tampa Bay

3 Mar, 2010 | by Alex

So, it turns out the Kings do in fact make a move at today’s deadline as they deal for Tampa Bay’s Jeff Halpern. Looks like a solid move from Lombardi, as he brings another seasoned veteran to the team. Halpern, a center, will most likely be a 3rd or 4th line player. As a captain of the United States’ World Championship team, and the Alternate captain for Tamba Bay, Halpern brings leadership the locker room as well. The price for Halpern was Teddy Purcell and a third round draft pick, so not too much. Purcell, who showed promise at the end of last season, never built on that this year. He was a major disappointment and performed under expectations all year long. Still young, however, Purcell may flourish with a change of scenery. Halpern has played 10 seasons in the NHL, playing in a total of 704 games while racking up 131 goals and 183 assists. Halpern started his career in 1999 with the Washington Capitals for 6 seasons. Following that, 1 and 1/2 seasons with the Dallas Stars and 2 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. No word on when Halpern will join the team, but chances are we’ll see him in a Kings uniform Thursday night in Nashville.