LA Kings sign Kopitar to 8-year deal, Ducks acquire Perron in trade

The Los Angeles Kings and forward Anze Kopitar have agreed to terms on an 8-year contract extension that will help keep the franchise's nucleus together. Other outlets reported that the deal will be worth $80 million.

The extension begins at the start of the 2016-17 season and culminates at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Kopitar, 28, has spent his entire NHL career with the Kings after the club selected him in the first-round (11th overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. In 725 regular season games he has 645 points (230-415=645), a plus-62 rating and 194 penalty minutes, while in 70 postseason games he has 60 points (18-42=60), a plus-22 rating and 37 penalty minutes en route to two Stanley Cups.

Kopitar is the latest Kings player to be secured under a long-term contact, joining Jonathan Quick, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Marian Gaborik, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, and Kyle Clifford.

Other outlets have reported that contract includes a no-move clause in the first half of the deal.

Ducks acquire David Perron and Adam Clendening from Penguins

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they have acquired left wing David Perron and defenseman Adam Clendening from Pittsburgh in exchange for struggling left wing Carl Hagelin.

The Ducks are hopeful that Perron will provide more of an offensive spark compared to Hagelin.  Even more important perhaps are the financial benefits of the deal, as Perron's contract will expire after this year, while Hagelin is still under contract for multiple seasons.

Perron, 27 (5/28/88), has scored 20-plus goals three times in his NHL career, including a career-high 28 in 2013-14 with Edmonton. He has appeared in 542 NHL games with St. Louis, Edmonton and Pittsburgh, scoring 133-179=312 points with 412 penalty minutes (PIM). The 6-0, 200-pound left wing played 43 games with Pittsburgh this season, scoring 4-12=16 points with 28 PIM. His 105 hits this season ranked second on the club.

Selected by St. Louis in the first round (26th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Perron made his NHL debut with the Blues in 2007-08 and was named to the 2008 NHL YoungStars Game. He appeared in 62 games in his rookie season, scoring 13-14=27 points with a +16 rating. He posted 21-21=42 points with a +19 rating in 57 games in 2011-12, his second 20-plus goal season with the Blues.

The year following his 28-goal season, Perron was acquired by the Penguins for Rob Klinkhammer and Pittsburgh's first-round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft on Jan. 2, 2015.

Clendening, 23 (10/26/92), has scored 1-4=5 points with 20 PIM in 30 career NHL games with Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Chicago. He appeared in nine games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist and a +3 rating. Selected by Chicago in the second round (36th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft, Clendening made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in 2014-15.

Hagelin, 27 (8/23/88), collected 4-8=12 points in 43 games with Anaheim this year. Hagelin was acquired by Anaheim from the New York Rangers in exchange for Emerson Etem and a second-round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft on June 27, 2015. He has scored 62-79=141 points with a +46 rating and 144 PIM in 308 career NHL games with the Rangers and Ducks.

In other NHL news . . .

DUCKS DEFEAT DALLAS

The Ducks scored four goals in the first period en route to their 4-2 win over the Stars, improving to 7-2-1 in their last 10 outings.

At 19-17-7 (45 points), the Ducks moved within one point of the idle Sharks (22-18-2, 46 points) for third place in the Pacific Division and within two points of the idle Avalanche (22-20-3, 47 points) for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg (1-1—2) recorded his third multi-point game of the season (43 GP), which have all been posted in his last four outings (2-4—6).

Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen (22 saves) improved to 7-8-5 this season (2.40 GAA, .915 SV%).

Stars forward Jamie Benn scored his 26th goal of the season and is tied for second among League leaders (w/ Alex Ovechkin).

Stars forward Mattias Janmark became the first rookie to score a shorthanded goal this season (45 GP).

KANE POSTS HAT TRICK TO LIFT CHICAGO TO 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

Patrick Kane (3-1—4) registered the first regular-season hat trick of his NHL career (623 GP) to lead the Blackhawks to their 10th consecutive victory, their longest such run since Feb. 15 – March 6, 2013 (11-0-0).

At 30-13-4 (64 points), the Blackhawks leapfrogged the Stars (29-12-4, 62 points) – who lost in regulation – for sole possession of first in the Central Division and Western Conference.

Kane registered his third multi-goal game of the season and took sole possession of first in the NHL with 28 goals overall. Kane added an assist for his second four-point outing of 2015-16 (also Nov. 8 vs. EDM: 1-3—4) and paces the League in assists (39) and points (67).

Kane’s second marker was his League-leading 14th power-play goal of the season, eclipsing his single-season career high of 13 from 2008-09 (80 GP). Per Elias, Kane is the first Blackhawks player to score 14 or more power-play goals in a season since 1998-99, when Tony Amonte posted an equal total (82 GP).

According to Elias, entering play on Friday, Kane's total of 26 two-goal games was the third-highest in NHL history among players who had no hat tricks in regular-season action. The top two on that list are Pavel Datsyuk (at 36 two-goal games and counting) and former NHL defenseman Larry Murphy (28).

Artemi Panarin (1-2—3) recorded his fifth three-point game of the season (47 GP) and leads all rookies in goals (16), assists (26) and points (42).

NAMESTNIKOV ALSO POSTS THE FIRST HAT TRICK OF HIS NHL CAREER

Vladislav Namestnikov (3-0—3) completed the hat trick at 2:11 of overtime to lead the Lightning to their fourth straight win.

At 23-17-4 (50 points), the Lightning leapfrogged the Bruins (22-16-5, 49 points) and idle Canadiens (23-18-3, 49 points) for sole possession of third in the Atlantic Division.

Namestnikov recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career (91 GP) and has posted three consecutive multi-point outings (3-4—7).

HORVAT LEADS CANUCKS OVER HURRICANES

The Hurricanes tied the score with 2:10 left in regulation, but Bo Horvat (2-0—2) scored at 3:25 of overtime – his second goal of the contest – to help the Canucks improve to 7-3-2 in their last 12 games.

At 18-17-10 (46 points), the Canucks moved into a tie with the idle Sharks (22-18-2, 46 points) – in terms of standings points – for third in the Pacific Division. San Jose, however, has played three fewer games than the Canucks. Vancouver also moved within a point of the idle Avalanche (22-20-3, 47 points), who hold the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

Horvat scored his first career overtime goal (113 GP). Per Elias, at 20 years, 256 days old, he became the second-youngest player in Canucks history to score a regular-season overtime goal. The youngest: Tony Tanti (20 years, 198 days) on Mar. 23, 1984 at WPG (4-3 OT W).

Horvat extended his point streak to a career-high six games (6-3—9), a stretch which includes his two career multi-goal performances (also Jan. 6 vs. CAR: 2-0—2). Prior to this run, Horvat had posted 2-8—10 in his first 39 games of the season.

COYOTES COMPLETE 3-TEAM DEAL

The Coyotes acquired defenseman Jarred Tinordi from the Canadiens in a three-team trade also involving the Predators.

The Predators traded defenseman Victor Bartley to the Coyotes for defenseman Stefan Elliott, and the Coyotes packaged Bartley and forward John Scott to acquire Tinordi and forward Stefan Fournier from the Canadiens.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS (Home Team in Caps)

Boston 4, BUFFALO 1
Chicago 4, TORONTO 1
Vancouver 3, CAROLINA 2
TAMPA BAY 5, Pittsburgh 4
Winnipeg 1, MINNESOTA 0
ANAHEIM 4, Dallas 2

SATURDAY’S ACTION (All Times Eastern)

NY Rangers @ Philadelphia, 1:00 p.m., SN, MSG, CSN-PH
New Jersey @ Arizona, 2:00 p.m., MSG+, FS-A
Ottawa @ Los Angeles, 4:00 p.m., RDS2, TSN5, FS-W
Toronto @ Boston, 7:00 p.m., CBC, CITY, NESN
Washington @ Buffalo, 7:00 p.m., CSN-DC+, MSG-B, BELL TV
Colorado @ Columbus, 7:00 p.m., ALT, FS-O
Montreal @ St Louis, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, TVAS, SN, FS-MW
Minnesota @ Nashville, 8:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-TN
Calgary @ Edmonton, 10:00 p.m., CBC, SN
Dallas @ San Jose, 10:30 p.m., FS-SW, CSN-CA

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services