Straka Is a Good Financial Fit

The newest King, Martin Straka, arrived Monday at the team hotel, a sound, offense-minded acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins that also makes economic sense.

The Kings will pay the speedy Straka, acquired Sunday for two prospects, the rest of his $4.35-million salary this season -- about $3.1 million -- and will receive about $2.35 million from the Penguins toward his $4.7-million salary next season.

The acquisition could end up being close to a zero-sum transaction if King center Jason Allison does not play this season, a worst-case scenario. The Kings are getting money from an NHL-mandated insurance policy they had taken out on Allison, who remains sidelined because of a whiplash injury he suffered in January.

The Kings will recoup about 80% of Allison’s $8-million salary, prorated to how many games he misses. The Kings are owed about $1.6 million because Allison has missed one-fourth of the season. They would receive about $3.2 million if he misses half the season and about $6.4 million if he misses the entire season.

“That’s not the way we were thinking, but that [insurance collection] would happen,” General Manager Dave Taylor said.

The Kings will not collect any insurance money on Adam Deadmarsh’s $3-million salary. Deadmarsh, out since last December because of post-concussion syndrome, signed a one-year contract last summer that excluded insurance collection from concussion injuries.

Straka, 31, had a career-high 95 points in 2001-02. He missed 91 games over the last two seasons because of back, leg and hamstring injuries, but he played in all of the Penguins’ 22 games this season.

Straka will play for the Kings tonight against the St. Louis Blues.

“The things I’ve heard is that he’s a character guy,” Coach Andy Murray said. “One of the former assistant coaches in Pittsburgh said he’s a hard-working, solid team guy. That’s what he’ll have to be on our team because that’s the kind of players that play on our team.”

Dave Tippett, coach of the Dallas Stars and Straka’s teammate for a season in Pittsburgh near the end of his playing career, said the Kings have made a solid acquisition.

“He’s a high-end, skilled player who is very fast,” Tippett said. “That’s a great benefit for them.”