SOME DEADLINE DEALS DECISIVE.

Byline: MATT McHALE NHL 

Many believe the greatest deadline trade in NHL history came in 1980 when the Kings sent Butch Goring to the New York Islanders for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis.

Goring, a gritty center with a scorer's touch, triggered four consecutive Stanley Cup titles for the Islanders. Of course, none of that helped him two weeks ago when the Islanders, now one of the league's worst teams, canned him as coach.

But Goring illustrates how today's trade deadline can sway the league's balance of power.

The Phoenix Coyotes, five points ahead of the Kings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, are trying to trade captain Keith Tkachuk.

For Phoenix, expected to lose $20 million, this is a fiscal decision. St. Louis and Philadelphia are the front-runners for Tkachuk, who once had back-to-back 50-goal seasons but has lost his edge the past two years.

The new team would have to pick up only 14 percent of the $8.3 million salary for Tkachuk, who turns 29 at the end of the month.

Last year, the Detroit Red Wings signed Brendan Shanahan, 32, to a lengthy contract extension to keep him from exploring unrestricted free agency. But now coach Scotty Bowman thinks Shanahan has lost more than a step and the team would love to unload him.

The Kings already have dropped their bomb during trading season and are 6-1-2 since dealing Rob Blake to Colorado. The Avs appear ready to win another Stanley Cup, but the Kings have been saluted around the league for getting a blend of youth and experience in return.

General manager Dave Taylor says he always is looking to improve the team, but the club is expected to sit out deadline day. This summer, however, will be a much different story. Learning from the Wayne Gretzky years that big names sell tickets, the Kings will take a look at Eric Lindros and Jaromir Jagr.

Luc Robitaille, Jozef Stumpel and Glen Murray all could find themselves elsewhere next season. Robitaille is an unrestricted free agent July 1. The team has said it will talk about his contract at the end of the year. Robitaille, probably even more popular than Blake, wants to stay in Los Angeles, but he doesn't want to be embarrassed by a lowball offer.

That could be coming despite his 33 goals.

Stumpel, the team's top center, is coming off his third consecutive off season. The broken rib in his back is just another in a series of injuries that cost him playing time and the team some much-needed consistency.

Although Murray had four goals in his first five games in March, the team might already have run out of patience. Murray has enormous offensive gifts. But even when he scored 29 goals last season, the Kings said he could be better.

Even with recent success, injuries to Stumpel, Mathieu Schneider and newcomer Adam Deadmarsh have created a critical lack of depth. Journeymen Jaroslav Modry and Philippe Boucher are anchoring the defense on the power play. Marko Tuomainen is playing right wing with the second unit.

Modry has been far more consistent than last year when he was a healthy scratch 56 times. Boucher didn't expect to make the team but didn't even land at the top farm club in Lowell, Mass. He played on loan in Manitoba, while top prospects Andreas Lilja and Rich Brennan got minutes where people were watching.

Schneider, by reaching 35 points this season, became eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1. He loves L.A., but his success might drive him out of the market.

Goaltender Felix Potvin, the club's savior the past two weeks, is a restricted free agent this summer. His backup, Jamie Storr, is eligible for salary arbitration at the end of the year. Stephane Fiset, limited to seven games this year after a pair of knee injuries, is back but might not see action the rest of the way.

The Kings will bring back Potvin, but one of the other two will go. Storr might handle the backup role better than Fiset, a starter most of the past decade.

At last season's deadline, they traded whiny winger Donald Audette to Atlanta in exchange for veterans Kelly Buchberger and Nelson Emerson. Although Audette responded to more playing time with the Thrashers, his unresolved contract status has become an major issue. He is upset again and there is a good chance he will be traded today or not re-signed.

Buchberger is a character guy who has had great respect in the Kings dressing room. He was a captain with the Oilers and Thrashers and considered one of the league's top leaders. But in a recent game with Edmonton, fans and former teammates were saddened to see how far their beloved Bucky had slipped on the ice.

``In a situation like that,'' one King said, ``is a Ziggy Palffy going to listen when he needs motivating?''

Emerson not only was Blake's best friend from college, he was a five- time 20-goal scorer. He has fallen well below that mark this season, but he has two years left on his contract and could be hard to move.

So where is the next Butch Goring? The Kings aren't at the level where his type would put them over the top. Taylor and Goring were teammates on the Kings, so Taylor knows first hand that talent and timing is everything.

``Butchy was a very good player, added a real spark,'' Taylor said. ``He was a terrific penalty killer and a real high-energy guy on the ice and in the dressing room. He helped the Islanders to four Stanley Cups, but they already were a great team.''

BLUE LINES

By Matt McHale

AVALANCHE TIME

Since Rob Blake arrived, Colorado is 6-1-1 heading into tonight's possible Stanley Cup preview against defending champ New Jersey in Denver. Over the weekend, the Avs split with Dallas. They didn't exactly outplay the Stars, but in the second period Sunday they showed their might with 24 shots on Eddie Belfour. It was the most vs. Dallas in one period since 1987. At one point, the shot margin was 20-2. Peter Forsberg had two goals in the period. When he has scored this year, the Avs are 18-0-1. Chris Drury added the third that is destined for this year's NHL highlight reel.

NOT SO DUMB

Tampa Bay was ripped for acquiring talented but difficult holdout goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin without getting him to sign a new contract. But now it appears the Lightning will get the deal done soon. Khabibulin sat out the past two years in a contract dispute in Phoenix and wants his new team to pay him for this season. Khabibulin says he sat patiently waiting since October for the Coyotes to complete its new ownership deal. Tampa GM Rick Dudley said no but now is working on a four-year, $19 million deal that includes a $3 million signing bonus and the $4 million a year Khabibulin wants.

COMEBACK

Last weekend, the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators blew a pair of third-period leads. Sunday, they were ahead by three goals and the Washington Capitals had pulled top goalie Olaf Kolzig. But the Caps, who are pulling another late-season surge, scored four times in the third to win their fifth in a row. Their best players have been their best players, something the Kings wish they could say. Captain Adam Oates, 56 points in the last 39 games, has a NHL-high 62 assists. Peter Bondra began Sunday's comeback with his team-leading 41st goal and league-best 20th power-play goal.

UNITED WE FALL

Recent success against the Kings notwithstanding, the Chicago Blackhawks do not have the same home-ice advantage they had at the old Chicago Stadium. The Blackhawks had winning home records for 36 consecutive seasons - 1958-59 through 1993-94 - at the raucous old barn. But since moving across the street to United Center, they have had losing record in three of their last six seasons and have a losing record at home again this year. Chicago Stadium had a decidedly smaller rink than any other in the league and the Blackhawks used it to their advantage. Now, they might as well be playing in Staples Center.

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Box: BLUE LINES: AVALANCHE TIME (see text)