Some would say that Lombardi got the leftovers of the trade deadline, by not acting sooner. Maybe. I'm sure there was interest by rival GMs in most of the Kings' younger players. But I think his philosophy was clear, that none of the current roster players were moving.
I assume that Lombardi realizes that the locker room is a fickle thing. Tweak it too much or bring in the wrong guys, and it becomes a nightmare. And you don't mess with a good thing. Penner has some familarity with Stoll and Greene, so he wouldn't be a pure, hired gun (aka Kovalchuk this past summer). Lombardi showed solidarity and confidence in the guys that got him here. (Obviously, Sturm wasn't a part of that). Maybe that painted him into a corner and drove up the price, but a deal was done. At the end of the day, I think building from within is the way to go.
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