McNall Says Oilers Turned Down His $5-Million Offer to Keep Carson

Owner Bruce McNall of the Kings, who sent center Jimmy Carson to the Edmonton Oilers last week as part of the Wayne Gretzky trade, said Monday that he offered the Oilers an additional $5 million to leave Carson out of the deal.

“He said, ‘Absolutely not,’ ” McNall said of Oiler owner Peter Pocklington. “He said, ‘I’m not going to do this for money alone. If we don’t get Carson, we don’t want any part of the deal.’ ”

The Kings sent Carson, two other players, three first-round draft choices and $15 million to the Oilers in exchange for Gretzky and three other players.

Carson, 20, was the Kings’ No. 2 scorer and most valuable player last season, when he set National Hockey League records for a U.S.-born player with a team-high 55 goals and 107 points.

McNall bought the Kings from Jerry Buss last season for $20 million.