LA Kings Sign Rob Scuderi

2 Jul, 2009 | by Keith

Well, it took the Los Angeles Kings long enough but at approximately 12:45PM Pacific, the Kings signed defenseman Rob Scuderi. In typical Dean Lombardi fashion, he went with a winner who’s great in the locker room. Scuderi, a former Pittsburgh Penguin is fresh off of winning his first Stanley Cup has also been invited to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Orientation Camp.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round (134th overall) in the 1998 Entry Draft, this 30 year old, 6’0″, 218 pound defenseman made an impressive show in this year’s Stanley Cup victory. He was born in Syosset, NY.

Says Kevin Allen of USA Today:

“On a 5-on-3 situation, he’s the best defender in the front of the net in the National Hockey League, and I’ve been saying that for two years,” said former Penguins player Bob Errey, now a television analyst for the team.”

Scuderi attended St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, NY and played NCAA hockey at Boston College. He became a mainstay on the Penguins blue line in the 2005-2006 season.

While it was no secret that Dean Lombardi was looking for one veteran defenseman to help solidify our line up, Los Angeles Kings fans must feel a little underwhelmed. That said, most Penguins fans on Twitter let out a collective groan when Scuderi signed with LA. And, if you watched the 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Finals, you know why. Scuderi made a huge play in Game 6, stopping a shot by Johan Franzen at a wide open net – twice. This is the kind of guy you want on your team, sticking his neck out for the win.

In 81 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008-2009, Rob Scuderi had 1 goal and 15 assists for 16 points and was a plus-13 with 112 penalty minutes. He won’t chip in much offensively but could be a good partner for Drew Doughty or Jack Johnson (if the LA Kings finally start to make use of his offensive capabilities).

So, are you going to welcome Rob Scuderi to the Los Angeles Kings or do you think Dean Lombardi could have done better?

Resources:
Kevin Allen, USA Today
Dve Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
NHL Yahoo Sports