Before bringing back Dustin Penner, the Kings wanted to assure themselves he'd be fully committed like he was toward the end of the season. Penner received a one-year deal partially because he had just 18 points in the regular season. He did get $3.25 million, though, because he was a different player in the playoffs, notching 11 points. It looks as if Penner wants to prove himself to the Kings' brass. "We want to make sure he's committed to the effort we saw the last two months and not the player prior to," general manager Dean Lombardi said. "And he was very good too. [For] Darryl [Sutter], this was, look him in the eye, man to man. There were no punches pulled. To his credit, he could have easily went to the market and maybe came back. But he called that night and said, 'No. I want to stay and I'm going to show you.' He was willing to take a one-year deal."