Kings Send Two Players to New Haven, Return a Top Draft Pick to Junior Team

The Kings cut three players Monday, reducing their roster to 25 going into Thursday night’s regular-season opener against the Vancouver Canucks at the Forum.

Right wing Mark Lofthouse and defenseman Steve Duchesne were assigned to the Kings’ minor league team at New Haven, Conn.

Left wing Craig Duncanson, 18, was returned to his junior team at Sudbury, Canada. Duncanson was one of the Kings’ two first-round draft picks last June.

“We’re still very high on him,” General Manager Rogie Vachon said of Duncanson. “But our policy is not to force a kid into the lineup. We feel it would be better for him to have another year in junior.”

The Kings made no moves in Monday’s National Hockey League waiver draft.

“We had a couple of guys in mind but they were picked in front of us,” Vachon said. “The problem with that waiver draft is that you’ve got to pick somebody that’s better than someone you have on your team.”