CAPS acquire enforcer D.J. King, I like the move. Hope he can keep those hands in good working order.
Also FLASH signs a 1 year deal 2.6 mil.
Posted at 5:24 PM ET, 07/28/2010
Caps acquire tough guy D.J. King from St. Louis [updated]
The Caps added some toughness to their lineup this afternoon, acquiring rugged right wing D.J. King from St. Louis in exchange for prospect Stefan Della Rovere.
The Caps have yet to confirm the deal.
The 26-year-old King signed a two-year extension with the Blues prior to being traded.
King, who played only 12 games with the Blues last season because of injury, will be the Caps' first enforcer since veteran tough guy Donald Brashear departed the organization via free agency last summer. In those 12 games, he fought five times.
King, a 6 foot 3, 230-pound native of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, has appeared in only 13 games the past two seasons. Two seasons ago, he suffered a shoulder injury in his first contest of the season and needed season-ending surgery, and last season he broke his hand in a fight with the Stars' Krys Barch, also in his first game of the season.
King was St. Louis' sixth-round draft pick in 2002. He's appeared in 101 NHL games, netting four goals, nine points and racking up 185 penalty minutes.
Della Rovere, meantime, is an agitator the Caps drafted in seventh round in 2008. He has represented Canada internationally, and earlier this month, fought fellow prospect Trevor Bruess at the Caps' summer development camp.
Update: The Caps have confirmed the trade. Also, King's new contract will pay him $625,000 next season and $650,000 in 2011-12 on a one-way deal, so he's bound for Washington.
Update:King on his role in Washington: "Obviously my role is to stick up for my teammates. But I also [hope to be] more than just that, is what the [Capitals] want. And that's what I expect out of myself. I always come to the rink every day trying to get better. Because the game is not just about fighting no more. You have to get in there on the forecheck and be a physical presence. They see me as someone who can play the game and be a force out there, not only by dropping the gloves."
When told what Pittsburgh's Max Talbot had to say about Alex Ovechkin yesterday, King shot back, "Wow. I guess that's not going to be happening too much longer, I guess."
Sounds like he's going to be a good quote.
YouTube - D.J. King vs Derek Boogaard Mar 14, 2010
YouTube - DJ King Fights from 2006/2007