ON THE SIDELINES : Jimmy Carson May Be Traded Again--This Time to Red Wings

Edmonton’s Jimmy Carson--the Los Angeles Kings player who was traded, along with $15 million--for Wayne Gretzky, may be dealt again, this time to the Detroit Red Wings, a newspaper reported today.

The clubs are close to a trade that would send Carson and another Oilers player to Detroit in exchange for Petr Klima, Joe Murphy and Adam Graves, the Detroit Free Press reported in today’s editions.

The newspaper said it learned of the deal from two sources it did not name, one with the Red Wings and one close to Carson, 21, whose family lives in a Detroit suburb.

The Red Wings had no comment on the report, spokesman Bill Jamieson said this morning.

“Whatever happens, happens,” said Carson, who walked out on the Oilers two weeks ago after demanding to be traded. He had a goal and two assists in four games this season with Edmonton and had 49 goals and 51 assists last season, his first with the Oilers after a trade that sent Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time scoring leader, to the Kings.

Klima said he will refuse to report to Edmonton if traded there.