WILL FLEURY JOIN KINGS?

Byline: ROGER PHILLIPS The NHL 

The National Hockey League's trading deadline is 49 days away and it's a safe bet that at some point in the next seven weeks, Calgary right wing and prospective unrestricted free agent Theoren Fleury will be changing uniforms.

Several questions (with answers provided) emerge with this likelihood:

Q: Will Fleury wind up with the Kings? A: The Kings are trying, but so are a lot of other teams.

Q: What will it take to get him? A: Calgary dropping from the playoff picture, and a team's willingness to send the Flames at least a couple of good young players, prospects and/or draft choices.

Q: How great is the risk of trading for Fleury, then losing him as a free agent after the season? A: A definite possibility and the biggest reason for teams to exercise restraint when putting together a package to send to the Flames for the scrappy winger, who has said repeatedly he will not sign a contract until testing the market after the season.

Q: Is there a chance Calgary could trade Fleury, then re-sign him this summer? A: Absolutely.

Q: Would Fleury put fans in the Staples Center? A: In the short-term, yes. In the long-term, only if the Kings win consistently.

Q: Could he provide the spark needed to lift the Kings into the playoffs? A: Yes, but if that is something the Kings hope Fleury will do, sooner is better than later. They have 33 games remaining. By the March 23 trading deadline, the Kings will have 12 games left and the addition of Fleury might be too little, too late.

Even if the Kings were to acquire Fleury and miss this year's playoffs, there would be a couple of benefits to such a deal. For one thing, by acquiring Fleury the Kings would provide the strongest indication to date that they are serious about spending money to build a contending team. Fleury's contract probably will pay him in the neighborhood of $7 million a year.

For another, the team that owns Fleury's rights at season's end will have the exclusive chance to negotiate with him until the league-wide signing period begins on July 1, which is two days after Fleury turns 31, the age at which players become eligible for unrestricted free agency.

The Kings are far from the sole suitors for Fleury's services. New Jersey, Buffalo, Toronto and San Jose all are expected to make strong bids for Fleury. And the New York Rangers, smarting over losing to Florida in the Pavel Bure sweepstakes, might pose the most formidable opposition to the Kings in the Fleury bidding.

To acquire Fleury, the Kings probably would be willing to trade any of their prospects with the exception of center Olli Jokinen. Also, the Kings are believed to want to keep the rights to defenseman Aki Berg, who spent this season in Finland after failing to reach contract terms with the Kings. Berg might have a future with the Kings, even after this lost season.

In any event, the expected availability of Fleury represents another opportunity for the Kings to add a high-profile player to their lineup.

Q: Will this be the one that works out? A: Stay tuned.

Lost opportunities: At least in the short-term, Bure has made the Panthers look wise for acquiring him, scoring seven goals in five games. But if the Kings were reluctant to deal for Bure, it had nothing to do with his talents on the ice. A big concern was the Russian Rocket's reported lifestyle away from the rink, specifically his alleged associations with shady characters in Moscow, which have been chronicled in several publications, most recently the Toronto Globe & Mail.

As for 23-year-old center Alexandre Daigle, the chronic bust was traded last week to Tampa Bay by Philadelphia in a three-way deal with Edmonton. According to a source in Philadelphia, the Kings offered defenseman Steve Duchesne straight-up for Daigle, but the Flyers declined. Kings general manager Dave Taylor denied the report and it is highly debatable whether there would be any benefit at this point to adding a player viewed as a project.

Rinkside: Former NHL/Kings star Jari Kurri is doing color commentary on Finnish television games and is involved in a sports bar in Helsinki. Kurri, who attended last week's NHL All-Star Game in Tampa, said he is interested in trying his hand at coaching. ``I think I'd want to start (in Finland) first to see if I like it,'' he said. . . . Colorado was a beneficiary when Vancouver hired former Avalanche coach Marc Crawford to replace the fired Mike Keenan. Crawford had a year remaining on his contract when he rejected Colorado's offer of a new two-year deal last May. He then was replaced by Bob Hartley. In an arrangement brokered by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, the Avalanche will receive a second-round draft choice and $200,000 from Vancouver as compensation for Crawford. If the Canucks finish in the NHL's top 12 (which is very doubtful), the Avalanche will get a first-round pick. Vancouver would have to pay Colorado an additional $200,000 if they advance to the second round of the playoffs, and $200,000 more for a second-round triumph.

BLUE LINES By Roger Phillips

THE BURE FILE

The Kings passed on Pavel Bure when the Vancouver Canucks shopped the disgruntled star right wing to all NHL takers. Instead, Bure ended up in Florida, where he has boosted the Panthers' television ratings and their offense. Here's a look at what Bure has done so far:

Gms: 5

G-A-Pts: 7-1-8

Shots: 25

Min./gm: 21

+/-: +1

PIM: 2

PPG: 3

CHANGING PLACES

First-overall draft choices enter the NHL viewed as saviors, but of the last 10, only the final three remain with the franchises that selected them. Most recently, Ed Jovanovski was part of the Bure deal, and Alexandre Daigle joined his third team. Here's a look at the last 10 No. 1 draft choices, who they were drafted by and which team they now are with:

Year Player Drafted by Current team

1989 Mats Sundin Quebec Toronto

1990 Owen Nolan Quebec San Jose

1991 Eric Lindros Quebec Philadelphia

1992 Roman Hamrlik Tampa Bay Edmonton

1993 Alexandre Daigle Ottawa Tampa Bay

1994 Ed Javanovski Florida Vancouver

1995 Bryan Berard Ottawa Toronto

1996 Chris Phillips Ottawa Ottawa

1997 Joe Thornton Boston Boston

1998 Vincent Lecavalier Tampa Bay Tampa Bay

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BOX: BLUE LINES By Roger Phillips (see text)