Ducks deal O'Donnell to L.A.

by James Mirtle on Sep 30, 2008 7:15 PM CDT Comment 11 comments

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired a conditional 2009 draft pick from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Sean O’Donnell.
>> team release

Anaheim drops that excess $1.25-million salary, the Kings get the veteran defender they were after and all's well in the Pacific Division.

The Ducks' back end doesn't look quite so dominating, however.

UPDATE As an aside, this move puts the Kings very close to the salary floor. Getting the rest of the way will not be a problem.

UPDATE The conditions on the deal are pretty interesting: If the Kings trade O'Donnell by the end of the season, the Ducks will receive a third-round pick. If O'Donnell simply plays the whole season in Los Angeles, Anaheim gets nothing.

This redefines Tom Benjamin's "trade for nothing" notion, now doesn't it?

UPDATE Chris Pronger is pretty sad about the whole thing.
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The Ducks' back end doesn't look quite so dominating, however.

Really? O'Donnell scares you?

He's been solid, but I wouldn't call him unreplaceable. Pronger can babysit someone else every night, I'd think.

We'll see. I sort of saw an O'Donnell trade possibility when they brought Klee aboard. Not that one's a suitable replacement for the other, but I think sliding Huskins or Montador up a spot should probably work out OK.

by Earl Sleek on Sep 30, 2008 7:33 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nieder-Beauch
Pronger-Montador
Huskins-Klee/Salcido/blah.

I don't think he'll be massively missed.

by VeryProudofYa on Sep 30, 2008 9:12 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps not. Although they are down two guys who played pretty decent minutes last year.

Schneider averaged more than 22 and O'Donnell about 17.

by James Mirtle on Sep 30, 2008 9:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Looking at raw minutes may be a tad misleading, though. Schnieder got cake minutes once niedermayer came back, and those were boosted with powerplay time, while O'donnell had the luxury of having his bacon saved by pronger.

Schnieder was babysat by line-matching, O'donnell by a 9 foot tall demigood with redwood trees for arms and street-thug stomping action.

Granted, not having someone with the ability to devour those schnieder minutes against weak opposition will hamper the offense, but that's cap-rape for you.

by VeryProudofYa on Sep 30, 2008 9:40 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That was been expected, because they had to drop their salary cap, because they recently signed a multi-million deal with Teemu Selanne.

by violator on Oct 1, 2008 4:14 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The interesting thing about this blueline group is that (according to NHLNumbers.com) every member of the top 6 except for Pronger is UFA after this year. As much change as we've seen for the Ducks' back end this offseason, there could be an entirely different corps by this time next year.

by Jeremy on Oct 1, 2008 9:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That was been expected, because they had to drop their salary cap, because they recently signed a multi-million deal with Teemu Selanne.

Wow, thanks. Any insight into who will win the Obama-Clinton race?

by The Gate To The Groin For Yannick Bertrand on Oct 1, 2008 12:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Be nice to the commenters from Latvia. There aren't a lot of them.

by James Mirtle on Oct 1, 2008 12:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Montador looks very good, alongside Pronger that is a pretty intimidating pair. Also Schneider is still an elite puck moving defenseman, but he was a half step slower last season and there were too many turnovers and giveaways to be comfortable with that salary. It made it that much harder to trade him.

But really, trading O'Donnell to a team you have to play 6 times? I thought the Ducks were supposed to make it more difficult for the Kings to rise up from the basement, not give them a hand.

by PJ Swenson on Oct 1, 2008 1:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I thought the Ducks were supposed to make it more difficult for the Kings to rise up from the basement, not give them a hand.

Oh, PJ, don't you know? The Ducks are givers.

See: Bryzgalov and the Coyotes.

by Earl Sleek on Oct 1, 2008 1:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Pronger puts in his two cents here:
http://chrispronger.com./index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=160:another-day-another-trade&catid=51:blog&Itemid=140

by Freeze on Oct 1, 2008 2:46 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs