Earlier this season, it looked like Dustin Penner’s tenure with the Kings would end this summer. Now, after a terrific playoff run, Penner is hoping to stay with the Los Angeles and the feeling is probably mutual.
It certainly helps that he’s willing to take less money to make it happen.
Penner is coming off of a five-year/$21.25 million contract. You might assume that he would be in line for a big pay cut this summer, but that might not be the case if he does test the free agent waters.
There will likely be a significant shortage of top-six forwards that make it to the UFA list and that might make even a risky guy like Penner very appealing to a number of teams. After all, he’s still not too far removed from a 32-goal season, he was great in the playoffs, and he’s a two-time Stanley Cup winner.
It would not be a shock if a GM felt optimistic about him and decided to offer him a contract that reflected that optimism.
With that in mind, the fact that Penner wants to stay in Los Angeles and is open to taking a pay cut is a meaningful development.