KINGS NOTEBOOK: BURE PLAGUED BY BACK INJURY.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

Kings forward Valeri Bure is injured. Exactly how bad, well, that's a matter of debate.

Bure said Sunday morning that a recent MRI revealed a herniated disc in his back, which is considerably more serious than a simple ``back strain,'' which is how the Kings have been describing Bure's injury.

Herniated discs often require surgery to repair, but Bure's supposed diagnosis was news to the Kings. After Sunday's game, coach Andy Murray emphatically said Bure did not have a herniated disc and that team doctors have confirmed the injury is not that serious.

``I think there might have been a misinterpretation on (Bure's) part,'' Murray said. ``They wondered if it was a protruding disc but ... you don't treat a herniated disc with what he's getting.''

Bure is being treated with medication and physical therapy and said he will be evaluated by doctors again today.

--Hello, goodbye: Defenseman and team captain Mattias Norstrom, who missed the Kings' first two games with strong flu-like symptoms, returned to the lineup Sunday.

To make room for Norstrom, the Kings assigned defenseman Denis Grebeshkov to their American Hockey League affiliate in Manchester, N.H.

Grebeshkov, 21, was a healthy scratch in the first two games. The Kings hoped Grebeshkov would stick with the team, but he didn't show the consistency in training camp needed to be a regular contributor.

``We need him playing. We can't just have him watching,'' Murray said. ``It was a combination of him not being quite as good as we wanted, but also other guys playing well.''

--Injury report: Murray said forward Jeff Cowan, who aggravated a groin injury in Thursday's game, likely will be out at least another week.