Trade Deadline Edition

Continuing in the series looking at the good, the bad and the ugly of some of the key trades at the 2011 Trade Deadline. Today we are looking at the Dustin Penner trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angles Kings. In return for Penner the Oilers received LA's first round pick, former first round pick Colton Teubert and a conditional pick.

The Good

Los Angles Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi, for a GM to pick up a 6-4 30 goal scorer for his team who is still under contract without having to give up a roster player or a key prospect has to be doing something right. Don't get me wrong, the return is about right for a player like Dustin Penner, a first round pick, a prospect with pedigree and another pick. I would have liked as an Oilers fan to see a roster player coming back as well, someone like Kyle Clifford, but thats what I want. For Lombardi, this was a very strong acquisition for his team that is trying to make an impact in the playoffs. Plus when you factor in that Penner is signed for another season next year there is a lot of value in what they got for what they gave up. Clear win for Lombardi.

The Bad

Colten Teubert, to start off let me say that this kid's story is not fully written, he is still young and he is still developing. But. He is a long way off from being an NHL defender, he has the size that every team is looking for in a defenseman, he is mean which fits well with that size but the one thing that keeps popping up is his lack of hockey IQ which is a big concern. A few quotes from Lombardi last year highlight this;

“[Teubert has] made a lot of progress, but he still has a lot to learn,” said Lombardi. “The whole thing about his physical game still has to be channelled in the right direction. You can’t play like the Flyers of the Seventies, so you have to channel that type of aggression. You can’t get away with just running around being physical.”

“Then, he’s got to get smarter with the puck,” added Lombardi. “Sometimes these guys try to add to their game too much, thinking they should be rushing pucks. Whoa. You were drafted to be that physical, make the first pass guy.”

“I think he had his ups and downs last year,” Lombardi noted. “The World Junior team wanted him because of that [toughness] element, just like why we drafted him. But he got a big wake-up call when we sent him to the [Ontario Reign of the] ECHL [late last year]. He wasn’t ready for [the AHL].”

Not to take too much away from Teubert, but I do hope expectation are tempered and that Oiler fans shouldn't expect to see him as regular for a few more years.

The Ugly

The Edmonton Oilers roster. For a team so short on real NHLers, to give up a player like Dustin Penner without getting a roster player in return is pretty poor. Currently the Oilers roster boasts 8 rookies on the active roster last game, 10 of the players either played in Europe, the AHL or Junior hockey last season. This team desperately needs some veteran talent especially with a team so young. They need some one to mentor these great young talents because right now its getting scary to watch 3 or 4 players out there at once on the ice who have so little experience. They need some one to guide them and help them develop. Was Penner that guy, sometimes, did LA have someone on their roster that filled that, not necessaryily but that should have been consideration in making a move like this. I don't see this team being competitive for few more years until they start adding the pieces to build around these young stars.