Kings acquire defenceman Dion Phaneuf in trade with Senators
Dion Phaneuf is on the move again as the Los Angeles Kings hope he bolsters their blue line for a playoff run.
Los Angeles acquired the veteran defenceman and forward Nate Thompson from the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night for forwards Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore. The Senators are retaining 25 per cent of Phaneuf’s $7 million salary-cap hit, so the Kings get a top-four defenceman for $5.25 million over the next three-plus years.
“Dion brings to our club a great deal of experience and leadership,” Kings general manager Rob Blake said. “He also plays with a physical edge, which complements our lineup well.”
The 32-year-old Phaneuf was pulled from Ottawa’s bench during a 6-3 loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins with the trade being finalized afterward. The Kings visit the Penguins on Thursday, so he doesn’t even have to leave Pittsburgh to meet up with his new team.