Eleven days after the trade was initially reported, the Kings finally completed a trade for Marco Sturm on Sunday, acquiring him from the Boston Bruins. The Kings desired the speedy but oft-injured left winger to finally shore up the left wing of a top line that has seen seven different players occupy that spot for various periods of time. Sturm will probably be ready to go in a few weeks and will most likely pair with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown.
In return for Sturm the Kings gave up... nothing. Seriously, they gave up nothing. The Kings gave up "future considerations" to the cap-strapped Boston Bruins for Sturm, which basically mean that if the Kings win the Cup or if Sturm scores 30 goals then the Kings have to give up a late draft pick. This is the third such trade by the Kings under General Manger Dean Lombardi's tenure: the Kings gave up a conditional seventh rounder for Sean O'Donnell in 2008 and a conditional seventh for Fredrik Modin last Spring. Neither draft picks were ever actually traded.
Sturm, 31, is known for his ability to stretch the defense and his accurate shot. Sturm has scored over 20 goals seven times in his career but has been in and out of the line-up recently with major knee surgeries in both knees. At his best, Sturm is a slippery player that can find the open area of the ice and bury his opportunities. He should work well with Kopitar, assuming they play together, as Sturm can utilize the space opened up by Kopitar far better than anyone else currently on the Kings' roster.
It's not likely that Marco Sturm will have a great impact for the Kings; he's had major knee surgery and that usually takes a year to bounce back from, even after you've started playing. There's a chance he might do something, however, and it was worth taking a flier on him. The Kings desperately need creative, skilled players, and Sturm is definitely one of those. Will it work out? Who knows? But there's nothing wrong with finding out.