Kings Sign Patrick O'Sullivan

[HordiBrusk29]

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed restricted free agent center Patrick O’Sullivan to a three-year contract, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

O’Sullivan, 23, notched 53 points (22-31=53) and 36 penalty minutes in 82 games for the Kings last season. His 53 points, 22 goals and 31 assists all ranked fourth on the team, while he tied for the club lead (with Michal Handzus) with three short-handed goals. O’Sullivan, who was selected as the Kings Best Defensive Player in 2007-08, also tied for the club lead (with Dustin Brown) with four shootout goals, three of which were game-winners. In addition, he had nine multi-point games last season, including a career-high five-point game Feb. 21 vs. St. Louis (1-4=5). O’Sullivan was one of four Kings to play in all 82 games last season (Handzus, Anze Kopitar and Lubomir Visnovsky were the others).

The 5-11, 190-pound native of Winston Salem, N.C., began his NHL career in 2006-07. In 44 games with the Kings that season he had 19 points (5-14=19) and 14 penalty minutes. In addition, he had 39 points (18-21=39) and 12 penalty minutes in 41 regular season games and 17 points (8-9=17) and 10 penalty minutes in 16 postseason games with the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs. His 17 playoff points led the Monarchs and ranked sixth overall in the AHL. He also led Manchester in the playoffs with eight goals, nine assists and three power-play goals.

O’Sullivan was originally drafted by Minnesota in the second round (56th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Kings from the Wild along with Minnesota’s first-round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft (Trevor Lewis) in exchange for Pavol Demitra on June 24, 2006.

[lakingsfan19]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

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It's about time and they got him locked up for three seasons. Now it might take hime 10 games to get back to game shape, I hope the hold out doesn't affect him much. Hope osully has been working out on his own.

I think this deal was done with the help of fellow teammates talking to osullivan. The la times says that kopitar and brown were speaking to osullivan who only wanted a one year deal. Which the kings didn't want any one year deal at all. They didnt want any of the young players to get a wrong message, being that the want to build a winning team. The way to do that was to have the young core stay together.

Good deal, I glad it got done, now lets lock up kopitar for 10 years!!!

interview with dean...

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[LAKINGSNUT]

its about f'ing time!!!phewwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!

[Cat Smasher]

I read today they signed him to trade him, I doubt it though.

There is some speculation that O’Sullivan will be moved from Los Angeles (with Toronto on the short list in landing him) and that the recent announcement of him signing a 3 year deal with the club was made in order to trade him, but the Kings would need to bring in salary in order to meet the floor as well as enough talent to move the young sniper to any team willing to fork it out for him.

from PPP blog.

[lakingsfan19]

Originally Posted by Cat Smasher

I read today they signed him to trade him, I doubt it though.

from PPP blog.

I can't see them signing him to a three year deal, just to move him. In that case Dean would of signed him to the one year deal along time ago.

[lakingsfan19]

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