Instant Analysis: Jeff Halpern Is Crowned
The Los Angeles Kings are gearing up for a playoff run, and they just added veteran forward Jeff Halpern.
The Trade
To Los Angeles: Jeff Halpern
To Tampa Bay: Ted Purcell, 2010 3rd Round Pick
From Los Angeles’ Standpoint
The Kings are looking for depth as they will surely make the playoffs for the first time since 2001-02. Halpern is a defensive-minded player with a propensity for penalty killing. He will provide leadership on a young LA team. Essentially a rental player, Halpern will become a UFA on July 1st. Halpern scored a career high 19 goals and 46 points on the Capitals in 2003-04, and while he hasn’t been putting up great numbers the last few years, he has the opportunity to play with some very talented players on the Kings. He will likely be a staple of the Kings’ third line.
From Tampa Bay’s Standpoint
Teddy Purcell is a young player with less than 100 games played in the NHL, but was an AHL All-Star in 2008. An undrafted winger, he will become a piece of the rebuilding team in Tampa Bay. The third round pick that Tampa gets will also help them turn around this franchise, which has a lot of very nice pieces moving forward. Teddy Purcell will become a restricted free agent on July 1st. The Lightning have the high-end players but aren’t strong as far as secondary scoring goes. The acquisition of Purcell targets that need.
Final Thoughts
The Kings’ young players will be entering the playoffs for the first time, and they will look to Halpern and his experience in four playoff series for leadership. Purcell goes the other way, to a Tampa Bay team that is fighting for a spot in the post-season.
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