Kings Ink Alexei Ponikarovsky

[Thrillhouse]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with unrestricted free agent left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

Ponikarovsky, 30, recorded 21 goals – his fourth 20-goal campaign in the past five seasons – in 77 regular season games with Pittsburgh and Toronto in 2009-10. Other totals from this past season included 50 points (21-29=50), 61 penalty minutes and a minus-1 rating for the 6-4, 229-pound native of Kiev, Ukraine.

Ponikarovsky, who has seen action in nine NHL seasons, totaled nine points (2-7=9) and 17 penalty minutes in 16 regular season games with Pittsburgh after the Penguins acquired him from Toronto for forward Luca Caputi and defenseman Martin Skoula on March 2, 2010. Additionally, he notched a career high five points (1-4=5) and four penalty minutes in 11 postseason games with the Penguins during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ponikarovsky’s totals in Toronto this past season included 19 goals, 41 points (19-22=41) and 44 penalty minutes prior to the trade.

Ponikarovsky set career highs for games played (82), goals (23), assists (38) and points (61) while skating with Toronto during the 2008-09 season, and all but five of his goals were scored at even strength. He also had 38 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating that season.

In 2007-08, Ponikarovsky registered 18 goals, 35 points (18-17=35), 36 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating despite only appearing in 66 regular season games with the Maple Leafs.

In 2006-07, Ponikarovsky reached 21 goals for a second consecutive season while totaling 45 points (21-24=45), 63 penalty minutes and a plus-8 rating in 71 regular season games with the Maple Leafs. His six power play goals that season marked a new career high.

Ponikarovsky also collected 21 goals in 2005-06 to go along with 38 points (21-17=38), 68 penalty minutes and a career high plus-15 rating in 81 regular season games.

Ponikarovsky made brief appearances with the Maple Leafs in the 2002-03 (13 GP, 0-3=3, 11 PIM), 2001-02 (8 GP, 2-0=2, 0 PIM) and 2000-01 (22 GP, 1-3=4, 14 PIM) regular seasons and in the 2002 postseason (10 GP, 0-0=0, 4 PIM). He became a regular in the Maple Leafs line-up in 2003-04, scoring nine goals and 28 points (9-19=28), 44 penalty minutes and a plus-14 rating in 73 regular season games. In addition, Ponikarovsky also collected four points (1-3=4) and eight penalty minutes in 13 games during the 2004 postseason with Toronto.

Ponikarovsky, who was originally selected by Toronto in the fourth-round (87th overall) in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, has 116 goals, 266 points (116-150=266), 335 penalty minutes and a plus-50 rating in 493 career NHL regular season games with Pittsburgh and Toronto. He also has appeared in 34 career postseason games, recording nine points (2-7=9), 16 penalty minutes and a minus-1 rating.

Prior to embarking on his NHL career, Ponikarovsky played professionally in Russia with both Dynamo Moscow and Krylya Sovetov.

[Nightshade88]

Why? didnt they see how bad he was in Pittsburgh? Maybe a fresh start on a good team will help him.

[NickDoh]

whatever. at least they finally did something.

[grits207]

Poni put up decent numbers in Toronto but it was mainly because he was getting more ice time than he deserved. I doubt he will have much of an impact in LA.

[acd1]

Poni = crap

[NYR36]

Just like a lot of Leafs, this guy will float around the league for a few years and then vanish.

[Wadubbin]

I'm glad that he won't be coming back to Pittsburgh.Any word on term or money???

[Thrillhouse]

1 year, $3 mil

[grits207]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

1 year, $3 mil

So...why not just bring back Frolov? They both play a somewhat similar style except Frolov is much more talented.

[NickDoh]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

1 year, $3 mil

****ing absolutely ****ing dumb.

[thepolishkid88]

TO is taking less money. You would have been better off doing nothing. Pony is marginal across the board and really dosent do anything well.

[Isles4life]

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either given that Frolov ended up signing with the Rangers for an identical contract. I've never been a fan of Ponikarovsky. He's big and has some talent I guess, but he's really not that good. I'd take Frolov over him by a mile.

[NickDoh]

i love how the kings sites (particularly lakingsinsider) are suddenly flourishing with people saying that frolov is a better option that ponikarovsky (already learned to spell that name by memory ) and that they shouldve kept him ... the same people that spent all season bashing frolov and contributing to the unwelcoming feeling he had. i know one rich hammond is as giddy as a school girl frolov is gone. he single-handedly started the hate campaign.

its just silly. but im glad the kings fan base continues to grow and i guess this comes with that territory. we are californians after all.

[Killah_punk]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

1 year, $3 mil

Plus a $200,000 signing bonus.

[lakingsfan19]

Lombardi is starting to piss me off!

You get rid of Fro for Poni???

I hope Lombardi can answer the question of how the Kings are better today than they were last year. Can't wait to hear Jim Fox's spin on all this. Seems like the old days of being a Kings fan, doesn't Nick???