The Komets are continuing to try to improve their offense, trading defensemen Jeff King to the Idaho Steelheads today for 6-foot-4, 220-pound forward Justin Kea.

Idaho had acquired Kea in an offseason trade with the Florida Everblades.

“We’re trying to amp up the offense and get a little bigger at the same time,” Komets general manager David Franke said. “Justin is a player that (coach Gary Graham) had been big on all summer. He was trying to get him at the beginning of the summer. Once Idaho was willing to make the move, we jumped on it. We’re happy and persistence pays off.”

Kea, 24, totaled 18 goals and 41 points in 65 games, as Florida won the regular-season championship last season. Kea, a third-round draft pick of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres in 2012, added six goals and 11 points in 15 playoff games.

King was scoreless in the opening weekend of the season, as the Komets went 1-1-0. They play Friday at Kalamazoo, Michigan, then play host to the Kalamazoo Wings at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Komets also signed defenseman Chris Rygus, a rookie out of St. Norbert College, who played his first three professional games last season with the Indy Fuel in the playoffs. To make room, the Komets waived rookie forward Brandon Morley, who was scoreless in one game.

jcohn@jg.net