July 1 Was the Time for Dean Lombardi To Gamble

After day two of the National Hockey League ’s annual feeding frenzy, otherwise known as the first couple of days when teams can sign unrestricted free agents, the Los Angeles Kings have filled a need on their blue line. On July 2, they agreed to terms with veteran defense-man Rob Scuderi, 30, who just won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins , to a four-year deal that is reported to be worth $13.6 million, an average of $3.4 million per season—a nice raise from the $725,000 he earned last season. The 6'0", 218-pound defense-man scored a goal and added 15 assists for 16 points with a +23 plus/minus rating and 18 penalty minutes in a career-high 81 regular season games last season. In the playoffs, Scuderi scored a goal and tallied four assists for five points with six penalty minutes in 24 games, averaging 20:29 of ice time. Scuderi played parts of five seasons with the Penguins, scoring three goals and contributing 36 assists for 39 points with 112 penalty minutes ... (link)