Dustin Penner, we hardly knew ye

Ah yes, Dustin Penner.

One of the many who rolled through Edmonton in the Decade of Darkness.

But to me, he was one of the most underrated Oilers who may have ever strapped on the blue and orange.

Penner infamously came to Edmonton on an offer sheet which caused then-Ducks GM Brian Burke to literally lose his mind going so far as to challenging Kevin Lowe to a fight.

Good times.

Back to the ice though, because Dustin Penner produced for the Oilers during a time when not a lot of people could.

Over 304 games, he amassed 186 points — 93 goals, 93 assists, 50 points/82 games. His last full season in Edmonton was his best, though. The 2009-2010 season saw him rip home 32 goals and 22 assists, but in reality, it was all for naught.

He led all Oilers in points with the closest behind being Sam Gagner and his 41 point season. It all led to the Oilers sucking so bad they were the last-place team in the league getting the chance to draft Taylor Hall.

Despite his one great year in Edmonton, the best of his nine-year NHL career, Penner largely struggled throughout his career especially after he left Edmonton.

The Oilers traded him to Los Angeles in exchange for Colten Teubert, a first-round pick in 2011, and a conditional third in 2012.

Edmonton did pretty well in the deal considering that first-round pick was used to draft Oscar Klefbom, who still patrols the Oilers top pairing.

Truth be told though, the Oilers almost never wound up with the deal the Kings offered up. Penner was set to be apart of a blockbuster deal in 2009 that would’ve seen him, Andrew Cogliano, and Ladislav Smid dealt to the Senators for Dany Heatly.

Heatly had one more good year with the Sharks, whom Ottawa dealt him to, but his game embarked on the decline.

Nonetheless, Penner’s career went anywhere but up as he never played more than 67 games in an NHL season again. Infamously, he threw out his back in 2012 with the Kings after he went to “dip into some delicious pancakes” his wife made him.

Good times.

The Dusty Dangler always hold a place in my heart as a fellow big guy — doubly so considering I got one of his jerseys as a gift from my parents. Lord knows where it is now.

What do you remember about the Dustin Penner era in Edmonton?