Kings, Ducks make an impact during otherwise drab trade deadline day

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The anticipation leading up to today’s NHL trade deadline was much ado about not very much.

On a rather ho-hum day around the league, the Kings added a couple of veteran forwards as they tried to solidify their hold on a playoff spot, and the Ducks added two veteran defensemen and exchanged backup goaltenders with Calgary as they push to get into the playoffs.

Coming to the Kings: Fredrik Modin, from Columbus, for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft. He had two goals and six points in 24 games this season.

Also coming to the Kings: Center/penalty killer Jeff Halpern, from Tampa Bay, for unproductive winger Teddy Purcell and a third-round pick in 2010.

Joining the Ducks: In a trade of Olympians, puck-moving defenseman and former King Lubomir Visnovsky, who finished fourth with Slovakia at the Vancouver Games, comes to Anaheim for defenseman Ryan Whitney, who played for the silver medal-winning U.S. team but got limited ice time because his offensive skills didn’t come close to compensating for his soft play.

Also joining the Ducks: veteran defenseman Aaron Ward, from Carolina, who had the distinction of being the first player to score a goal in the Ducks’ new home -- then known as the Pond -- when the building opened in 1993. The Ducks gave up goalie Justin Pogge and a fourth-round pick.

Also joining the Ducks: goaltender Curtis McElhinney, from Calgary, for Vesa Toskala, acquired from Toronto Jan. 31 in the Jean-Sebastien Giguere trade.

We’ll have lots more later at www.latimes.com/sports, including comments from Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi and new Duck Visnovsky. The Ducks, incidentally, will have only five defensemen for their game Wednesday night against Colorado because their new acquisitions won’t arrive in time.

-- Helene Elliott and Robyn Norwood