A LOOK BACK AT THE KINGS : Ftorek Isn’t the Only One in Limbo

On the morning after the Kings were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, Coach Robbie Ftorek and General Manager Rogie Vachon were back in their offices at the Forum, meeting with the players and starting to think about next season.

One by one Tuesday the players met with Ftorek and then with Vachon.

There are a few loose ends to be tied up before the book can be closed on the season. Ftorek is not the only one whose return is in question.

Vachon had to break it to some of the Kings that there is still a “player to be named later” as compensation to the Islanders for goalie Kelly Hrudey. It was one of the provisions of the trade that sent two of the Kings’ young players, Mark Fitzpatrick and Wayne McBean, to New York on Feb. 22.

The Kings will be able to protect 12 players, leaving some pretty good players available to the Islanders. If the players had not advanced through the first round, there would have been no further compensation to the Islanders. And if the Kings had advanced beyond the second round, or the third round, or into the final round, they would have been allowed to protect fewer players.

“Some of the players were already aware of how the trade would be completed, but some of them I had to make aware,” Vachon said. “A lot of the players feel secure, but there are some worried that they might be on the bubble.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see who we leave open. We might have to gamble and try to guess what the Islanders have in mind. They might want to pick someone on our reserve (New Haven) list. We have some good young kids there.”

The Islanders are on a campaign to build with young talent.

The Kings, then, might be able to gamble on leaving some of their older players unprotected, hoping that the Islanders will pass on them.

Goalies need not worry. Part of the deal in the trade for the Islander goalie was that the Kings would not have to give up their goalie in return.

Vachon said that he expected the deal to be completed soon, but not until after Islander General Manager Bill Torrey returns from Europe this weekend. Torrey is in Sweden for the World Championships.

“No matter how you figure it, I think the Islanders are going to get a pretty good player from us,” Vachon said. “But we have no regrets. We liked the way Kelly played against Edmonton and the way we finished the (regular) season.”

Each of the Kings received $2,500 for finishing second in the Smythe Division and each received $6,000 for making it to the division playoffs. (Losing in the first round pays $3,000 each; making it into the conference finals is worth $11,000; playing for the Cup is worth $18,000 and winning the Stanley Cup is worth $25,000.)

The Kings’ promotional department has all summer to build up Gretzky’s inevitable record as the highest-scoring player in the history of the National Hockey League. Gretzky (with 1,837 career points) needs just 14 points to pass record-holder Gordie Howe (1,850).

Several players will be working with the organization over the summer on new contracts, including Bernie Nicholls, who had 70 goals during the regular season, expects to have his current contract renegotiated soon. He says he plans to negotiate the deal himself--with a little help from his friend Wayne Gretzky.

Goalie Glenn Healy played out his option this season and will be looking to make a new deal for himself during the offseason. With 25 victories before the acquisition of Hrudey, Healy finished among the league’s top six goaltenders. “But I was at the bottom on the salary list,” he said.

John Tonelli, who signed as a free agent before the season began, was signed to a one-year contract. So the Kings will be talking with him.

“It will be a busy summer, but it is the same every year,” Vachon said.

Defenseman Steve Duchesne, who signed a new contract this spring, says he’s looking forward to the first summer of his pro career without a contract negotiation.