In one of the dumbest moves in Kings trade-deadline history (and that is saying a lot), the Kings traded 24-year-old, 20-goal scorer Patrick O'Sullivan and a second-round draft pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for injury-plagued forward Justin Williams.

Williams, who is currently on the IR with a hand problem, might be able to start playing for the Kings sometime in mid-March, according to ESPN.

Williams played only 37 games last season due to injuries and has had continuous injury problems this year as well, playing in only 32 games and accumulating a paltry 3 goals, and 7 assists.

Williams had back-to-back 30-goal seasons three years ago, but hasn't done much of anything since. Over the past two seasons, O'Sullivan has actually outscored Williams by 50 points, partially because O'Sullivan has managed to stay healthy.

Considering O'Sullivan has been more valuable recently, is three years younger, and is locked into an affordable long-term deal, it is even more mind-blowing that the rebuilding Kings would also sacrifice a second-round draft pick in addition to the better player.

Worst of all, Carolina immediately traded O'Sullivan and their previously-held second-rounder to the Kings' conference rival Edmonton, for Erik Cole. That makes the Oilers the big winners of this three-way deal.

Cole was less effective this season than the Oilers had hoped (16 goals, 11 assists), but his production and consistency far outweighs that of Williams, which makes one wonder: Why didn't the Kings just trade straight-up with the Oilers?

O'Sullivan has two more years on his deal, and his three-year deal with the Kings was front-loaded. So, after O'Sullivan earns $4 million this season, 80 percent of which was already paid by Los Angeles, the Oilers get him for $2.39 million over each of the next two seasons. 

In other words, the Kings even get screwed on cap space, while the Oilers get almost a $2 million break. Not bad for a potential 30-goal scorer.

This is a horribly contradictory move to what Kings GM Dean Lombardi claimed was his strategy over the past four years. He managed to sacrifice youth, a high draft pick and skill for an older, injured, inconsistent player that costs more. In the process, he waived the white flag for this season and benefitted a conference rival for years to come.

It's a trifecta of stupid.

How does giving up youth, a draft pick and up-side help one rebuild?

Lombardi didn't just lose the season for his club. He lost what little hope Kings fans had of seeing a light at the end of the "rebuilding" tunnel.

The truth is, there is no end to the tunnel. The Kings are the official farm club of the NHL. 

They develop players. Then when those players are good enough, L.A. trades them away to real NHL teams for bad players and/or draft picks (see Michael Cammalleri, Olli Jokinen and Cristobal Huet). 

The Kings then take said draft picks, lie to their fans and repeat steps one and two.

The team names "Kings" and "Royals" have officially become synonymous in more ways than one.