LA Kings: Top five Stanley Cup-contention trades
By Ryan Cowley
LA Kings Trade Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason for Jack Johnson
Just a few months into his tenure as the LA Kings’ general manager, Dean Lombardi made a splash.
In September 2006, Lombardi acquired one of the top prospects in the game in Jack Johnson.
Taken third overall in the 2005 Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, Johnson was projected to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
Lombardi believed the Indianapolis native was too good to pass up and traded Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason for Johnson’s services. The Kings also acquired Oleg Tverdovsky in the deal, although he only appeared in 26 games for the Kings.
As for Johnson, he would become a full-time King the following year. Yet, while the team struggled early on, the blueliner was a significant factor in not only helping the Kings return to the playoffs in 2010 but also helping to set the table, if you will, for a greater team accomplishment.