Tuesday will mark four years since Kings general manager Dean Lombardi acquired Jeff Carter in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jack Johnson and a first-round draft pick.

“I am obviously excited,” Carter said the day of the trade. “I looked at the Kings at the start of [2012] as being a club in a good position to win. I look forward to coming to L.A. and being a part of it all.”

Oh, and has he ever been a part of it all.

It’s been a beautiful fit for Carter in Los Angeles since, the lanky, offensively-gifted forward racking up 194 points (101G, 93A) in 270 regular season games in a Kings uniform. He’s played a major role in bringing two Stanley Cup championships to the franchise as well, scoring 51 points (24G, 27A) in 64 postseason games with the Kings.

With the NHL’s trade-deadline looming just over a week away on Monday, February 29, ESPN’s Senior Writer Scott Burnside listed what he sees as the Top 5 trades to take place in the NHL over the course of the last five seasons.

The best one? Jeff Carter, February 23, 2012.

Burnside wrote:

“Let's discuss how the former Flyers sniper got to Columbus in the first place another time (hint: it's not a red-letter moment for Columbus) but credit Kings general manager Dean Lombardi for identifying that Carter was not a good fit in one marketplace and finding a way to bring him into the Kings' fold. Carter has been a key component to the Kings' two Stanley Cup runs, collecting 25 points during the 2014 Cup run after scoring eight goals in the 2012 postseason -- tied for most in the league. His work with young players such as Tyler Toffoli cannot be understated in helping the Kings remain a perennial Cup contender. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.”

Read Burnside’s Top 5 Trades of The Past 5 Seasons HERE



