Top-Six Forward Search Is On

TAMPA, Fla. —  Tuesday’s NHL trading deadline has come and gone, but the Kings might not be finished wheeling and dealing.

Ever since they traded Glen Murray and Jozef Stumpel to the Boston Bruins for Jason Allison in October 2001, the Kings have been short a top-six forward. And with depleted production from Steve Heinze and Tuesday’s trade of Bryan Smolinski, they’re down to only Allison, Ziggy Palffy and Adam Deadmarsh.

“I think we have a defined three [top-six forwards],” Coach Andy Murray said Wednesday, “and I think we have five or six who are in the audition phase. They’ll show us whether they are or not. One of the things you hope is that because of what happened to us this season the silver lining is that some of these high-end young players have gained some valuable experience....

“I know we’re definitely going to add. We’re in a position where we’re dealing from strength this summer. From what I’m being told, this is the best-ever draft and with three first-round picks, teams are going to be all over us.

“Do we turn those three into young players? Possibly. Or do we use those assets to go out and acquire a player?”

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Having played well in his last two relief appearances, first-year goaltender Cristobal Huet will make his first NHL start this weekend, Murray said.

“We’ve giving Jamie [Storr] every opportunity,” the coach said of his No. 1 goaltender, “but we’d also like to see where Huet is at.”

He said he had not decided which game Huet would start.

-- Jerry Crowe