Norstrom Talks Stagnate

Talks are ongoing between the Kings and representatives of Mattias Norstrom, but they’re not necessarily progressing.

“The Kings don’t want to move from the position that they are going to base [his contract] on statistics,” Norstrom said Monday. “We’re still arguing our position that the value of Mattias Norstrom is not just based on statistics.”

Those statistics read: two goals, five assists for last season, hardly eye-opening. But they also read second on the team in ice time and third in the NHL in hits.

“I need him,” said Rob Blake, Norstrom’s defense partner.

To date, the Kings have a three-year offer at $1.05 million, $1.2 million and $1.4 million on the table, and it has stayed there since Aug. 16. Norstrom is seeking something more like a $1.7-million average.

There also is talk of a one-year, $1.045-million contract.

“I’ve got to respect them if I’m not in their plans,” Norstrom said. “It makes me wonder what happens next? I don’t feel like I’m getting any recognition at all. . . . I want to be in camp right now. This is the ugly part of professional sports.”

While the Kings are in camp, Norstrom is sharing daily practice time with former King Marty McSorley, a free agent looking for an NHL job.

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King strength coach Joe Horrigan measured each player’s sprint time from the goal line to each blue line and the speed of each player’s shot before Monday’s practices to establish a baseline. They will be monitored throughout the season.

Horrigan is new with the Kings but hardly new to their players. He worked with Luc Robitaille two summers ago, and Robitaille responded with a 39-goal season.

Goalie Stephane Fiset credits a plan developed by Horrigan with helping rehabilitate various injuries over the summer.

“It’s the first time I ever worked with weights,” Fiset said. “I always figured that they would slow my reaction, but instead they have given me more quickness from side to side, more power.”

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Left wing Donald Audette has hip flexor problems that will keep him out of tonight’s exhibition against Colorado at the Great Western Forum. Audette said the injury is not serious, not unusual for him in training camp and has never occurred during the season.

“I’ll give it a couple of days of rest, and it should be OK,” he said.