Recently in NHL Category

One more segment from Kings President/GM Dean Lombardi, on No. 2 pick Drew Doughty and his search for a coach:

>> Continue reading: Dean Lombardi, Part VII

More from Kings President/GM Dean Lombardi on the rebuilding process, and how hard it is on a fan base that has redefined the term "long-suffering":

>> Continue reading: Dean Lombardi, Part VI

More from Kings President/GM Dean Lombardi, on multi-tasking:

>> Continue reading: Dean Lombardi, Part V

Still more from Dean Lombardi, on trades:

>> Continue reading: Dean Lombardi, Part IV

More from Kings President/GM Dean Lombardi, on how soon the kids will be ready:

>> Continue reading: Dean Lombardi, Part III

The second segment of a conversation with Kings President/GM Dean Lombardi, on the instructional model for the development camp -- and whether it hurts to not have a head coach in place:

>> Continue reading: Dean Lombardi, Part II

In conjunction with today's column on the Kings -- prompted by their development camp currently taking place at El Segundo -- here's the first of a few segments with the club's president and general manager Dean Lombardi.

Why several? Put it this way: When Lombardi gets going, he'll fill your recorder.

(Incidentally, the camp runs through July 18, with individual position sessions running from 8-11:30 and everybody on the ice from 3:45-4:45. There's no charge for the daily sessions at the Toyota Sports Center, 555 Nash in El Segundo. The only exception is a scrimmage on July 14 at 3 p.m.; there, admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 18.)

Anyway, here's Dean, talking about the origins of the development camp.

>> Continue reading: A conversation with ... Dean Lombardi

But no, it's not Elton Brand. At least not yet; there has been no word on whether he'll take the Golden State Warriors' contract offer or stay with the Clippers.

But Rob Blake is leaving LA. The former Kings captain signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the San Jose Sharks, with the idea that he'll serve much the same mentor role for their young defensemen that he would have with the Kings.

LA general manager Dean Lombardi had indicated he wanted Blake to return for another season. But the 38-year-old Blake told The Associated Press that Lombardi didn't return his calls in the early stages of the free agent period that began Tuesday. That gave the Sharks an opportunity, and they jumped on it.

"San Jose is something I've always admired," said Blake. "They have a ton of potential, and they're always right there every year. The excitement is in moving up the road a little and playing for a championship again."

As the NHL free-agency period gets underway, the Ducks have quickly inked leading-scorer Corey Perry to a five-year $26.625 contract ($5.325 million average).

---Graig Woodburn

The Kings announced Sunday night that they have traded All-Star defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to the Edmonton Oilers for forward Jarret Stoll and defenseman Matt Greene.

Visnovsky, 31, has led Kings defenseman in scoring for the past three seasons. He led the entire Kings team in scoring during the 2005-06 season with 67 points (17 goals, 50 assists) .The smooth-skating Slovakian was a 2007 NHL All-Star.

Stoll had a career-high 68 points during his rookie season in 2005-06. He had 14 goals and 22 assists for the Oilers last year.

Greene will also be entering his third NHL season. He had just a single assist in 46 games for Edmonton last season.

--Graig Woodburn

The Ducks have placed Todd Bertuzzi on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. If Bertuzzi is not claimed, he will clear waivers tomorrow morning (June 28) at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.

"Todd Bertuzzi is a quality person who we believe can still play at the NHL level," said Ducks GM Brian Burke. "Unfortunately, we are handcuffed by our salary cap situation. We thank him for his efforts last year and wish him the best of luck in the future."

Bertuzzi was signed to a two-year contract last season that will pay him $4 million this year. If he not claimed on waivers and the Ducks buyout his contract, he will recieve 2/3 of the contract amount and the team will have a $2 million charge to the salary cap.

The veteran power forward had 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 68 games last season.

---Graig Woodburn

The Ducks will announce later today that star defenseman Scott Niedermayer will remain with the team next season. Niedermayer missed the first two months of the season last year while contemplating retirement and was unsure of his future playing status as the Ducks completed their season with an opening-round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars in April.

--Graig Woodburn

The NHL announced today that is has indefinitely suspended Ducks owner Henry Samueli from any involvement with the team or the league.

Samueli pleaded guilty Monday to making a false statement to Federal investigators regarding the back-dating of Broadcom stock options. Samueli was one of the founders of the company.

A Federal District Judge will evaluate sentencing options for Samueli on August 18 and the NHL will review his status at that time. Under the plea agreement, government prosecutors will recommend that Samueli receive a five-year suspended sentence and pay a $12.2 million fine.

--Graig Woodburn
--Sports@pe.com

With their first pick in the NHL draft (17th overall) the Ducks selected Jake Gardiner, a speedy defenseman from Minnetonka, Minnesota.

"Our scouts say this kid skates like the wind," said GM Brian Burke. "We're very happy with this."

With their second pick in the first-round of the NHL draft, the 13th overall, the Kings selected Colten Teubert a rugged defenseman who skated with Regina last season.

Teubert is know for his ferocity in the defensive zone and for dishing out punishing open ice hits.

Could be just what the Kings need.

--Graig Woodburn

From reporter Graig Woodburn: Many believe defenseman Drew Doughty is ready to play in the NHL next season. His style has been compared to that of Hall-of-Fame defenseman Ray Bourque.

"I want to step in and make the NHL next year," said Doughty shortly after being selected.

He's the third-rated skater and No. 2 defenseman among North American prospects, according to the NHL's Central Scouting Service. The choice was either Doughty or Zach Bogosian, and to listen to the descriptions, Doughty was more of a Scott Niedermayer type, capable of controlling a game, while Bogosian was more of a Chris Pronger type, skilled, physical and willing to play with an edge.

It was a choice between a player closer to playing in the NHL right now, in Doughty, and a player believed to have more of an upside, in Bogosian.

Doughty answered one of the questions about him by losing 25 pounds since the end of his junior season. And he talked before the draft about wanting to be a King. You don't hear that very often.

Here's the NHL.com package on him.

Here's some video:

And here's what Doughty told TSN:

"That's my main focus -- I really want to step in and make an impact in the NHL. I want to be a Los Angeles King. I always have. It's a dream come true."

He was a Wayne Gretzky fan as a kid, which explains why he was a Kings fan. And here's some more trivia: Guelph, Ont., where Doughty played his junior hockey, was home to the Kings' training camp for a number of years in the early days of the franchise, the late '60s and early '70s.

Moments before the NHL entry draft began, the Kings, Ducks and Calgary Flames pulled the trigger on a three-way trade that sent Michael Cammalleri to Calgary and sent the Ducks' first-rounder obtained from Edmonton, the 12th overall pick, to the Kings. In exchange, Anaheim gets the No. 17 pick from Calgary and the No. 28 pick that the Kings had acquired from Dallas.

The Ducks were supposed to know by today about Scott Niedermayer's plans for next year. But general manager Brian Burke has given his All-Star defenseman a few extra days to make a decision because Scott's wife, Lisa, is expected to give birth any day now.

Meanwhile,former Vancouver GM Dave Nonis is about to join the Ducks as a senior advisor to Burke, according to TSN. Nonis is one of Burke's best friends and worked with Burke for six seasons in Vancouver before being promoted when Burke was fired.

This development could go one of two ways. It could dampen the speculation -- mostly a product of a hyperimaginative Canadian media corps -- that Burke will jump to the Toronto Maple Leafs as boss of hockey operations as soon as his Ducks contract expires at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Or it could increase said speculation, since the club would have a former NHL general manager available as a replacement (and never mind that the Ducks already have one in assistant GM Bob Murray).

Defenseman Scott Niedermayer has let the Ducks know that he'll make a decision on whether to return next season before Friday's NHL draft in Ottawa.

Niedermayer's agent, Kevin Epp, told the Canadian sports network TSN even he's not sure which way his client is leaning.

If Niedermayer returns, it will be to fulfill the final season of his contract.

"Everything we do hinges around Scott Niedermayer," Bob Murray, Ducks vice president of hockey operations, told The Associated Press. "He has to make his decision because we have to move on. We can't do what we did last year because it didn't work. It was a long year and it was no fun for anybody."

Murray told AP he didn't have even a gut feeling on what Niedermayer might decide, except to say the player is "torn" over what to do.

"We need him back, but you have to respect that, if he doesn't feel he wants to play again," Murray said, "he'll do what he has to do."

The Ducks are also waiting on Teemu Selanne, who again is a free agent and mulling over whether to continue his career.