Long – term Quick
.
These are the kind of things you keep around for a while.
The kind of things that staple this club as a threat to be a menace for years.
For the Kings, they’re going for another round next season with a slew of the same faces that brought the Stanley Cup to Los Angeles this season, all of them in fact.
There’s not much more you can ask for than roster consistency following a championship season, let’s not play games here. Big-contract names and trade-deadline rentals are often shipped to another city after the Stanley Cup is brought to such-said city.
The Kings have none of that. They have everything they’ve had.
Down for a decade
Quick for Long: Dean Lombardi was vehement in coming to terms with arguably, if not already considered, the team’s most valuable asset. Both sides agreed to guidelines days before Sunday’s announcement.
Jonathan Quick has been signed to a 10-year, $58 million contract extension, but it will not take into effect until the 2013-2014 campaign.
That’s another eleven seasons, for now, with a goaltender who didn’t just carry the 29th-ranked NHL offense into the postseason, but rolled on with a 16-4 playoff record, posting a 1.41 GAA, a .946 Sv%, mixed in with three shutouts.
If you’re not locking that up, you’re not Dean Lombardi. Hot hands.
As for Jonathan Bernier, you want him to stay for extremely sensible purposes as a Kings fan. If you’re Jonathan Bernier, you’re probably wanting out — a bit. Bernier appeared in just 16 games this season, 13 of which were starts. He never got a taste of playoff hockey, either.
Sign it with a Penner
Intact: The Kings locked up another unrestricted free agent, going discount style with Dustin Penner on a 1-year $3.25 million contract. This now means the Kings will have every player from their postseason roster come October, for now.
That’s undoubtedly a good thing for the Kings, and Dustin Penner was shades better throughout the playoffs. But, do you expect a rise in play from him? Not necessarily. A comfortable fit on the back-end when he’s on par, and a good presence off the ice as well.
Tough to say anything bad about another go with Penner.
That leaves Scott Parse as the only other notable unrestricted free agent the Kings have dwindling. You can almost guarantee the finish to his Kings career, but he still has the potential to get looks elsewhere. All the Kings have known is injuries with Parse, it’s fair to cut ties.
If it works, it’ll be somewhere else.
Quick and out
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