The Ducks receive a conditional 2009 draft pick in return — the condition being, if the Kings trade O’Donnell during the season, the Ducks will get their third-round pick. So essentially, the Ducks give up the 36-year-old defenseman and his $1.25 million cap hit for nothing.

As for the salary cap, this puts the Ducks back under — barely. By one estimate (my own), they’re $25,000 under the $56.7 million cap ceiling. The team will want more breathing room once the regular season starts, as one AHL call-up could put them over the cap by virtue of the CBA’s rules on such things.

More significantly, it leaves the Ducks without one of their steadiest blueliners since he was acquired from Phoenix midway through the 2005-06 season. Perhaps this means the Ducks are leaning toward Ken Klee, whom they acquired in the Mathieu Schneider deal last Friday.