Help Wanted: A Kings’ Coach : Hockey: The Red Wings want to keep Melrose, and nobody seems to want the job in Los Angeles.

What was once a glamorous, highly desired job has turned into hockey’s hot potato.

Almost no one, it seems, wants to coach the Kings. Toronto Coach Pat Burns, the No. 1 choice, didn’t even make a cursory phone call before leaving Montreal when he learned the Kings were interested in him as the coach and general manager.

Now that nine NHL coaching vacancies have been filled, the Kings are still not close to finding Tom Webster’s replacement.

And there’s a new twist with the Kings’ leading candidate, Barry Melrose, who is the coach of the Detroit Red Wings’ top minor-league team at Adirondack (N.Y.).

If Melrose gets an offer from the Kings, Red Wing General Manager and Coach Bryan Murray would step down as coach after next season, according to sources in the Detroit organization.

That, apparently, would be enough to prevent Melrose from leaving. Even before Melrose interviewed in Los Angeles last week he said his preference was to coach in Detroit.

Melrose, 35, played defense in Detroit, finished his career there and has a deep loyalty to owner Mike Ilitch. Also, the Detroit job doesn’t come with the ever-present baggage in Los Angeles--a highly paid core of veteran players and no top draft pick until 1994.

Another downside is the ongoing, leaguewide perception that owner Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky are running the team.

“It’s a job no one wants,” one NHL general manager said. “Barry was their guy because he’s not Wayne’s guy. They want someone who’s not Wayne’s guy or Bruce’s guy. They’re trying to get away from that there.”

Quebec General Manager Pierre Page is the most popular man at the NHL meetings. Page is the host of the Eric Lindros auction.

The first round of bidding ended, and all but three or four teams have dropped out. Chicago appears to be the leading contender, offering goaltender Ed Belfour, right wing Steve Larmer, defenseman Karl Dykhuis and its No. 1 pick in Saturday’s entry draft, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Quebec then asked for Jeremy Roenick and Chris Chelios, but the Blackhawks are unwilling to part with either, especially Roenick.

“Some people find it unusual to think there are so many teams involved,” Page said. “But it’s like a derby. A lot of teams are interested and a lot of teams are serious. They seem to understand what this player represents.”

Tampa Bay President and General Manager Phil Esposito, who made more than 30 deals in three years with the New York Rangers, didn’t waste any time Thursday after the expansion draft.

He traded goaltender Frederic Chabot to Montreal for minor league goaltender J.C. Bergeron.

Earlier, he had taken Chabot from Montreal in the draft, picking him after selecting Pittsburgh goaltender Wendell Young. Tampa Bay’s top choice among the defensemen was Joe Reekie from the Islanders and Michel Mongeau from St. Louis was the top forward.

Ottawa’s top selections were Hartford goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz, New Jersey defenseman Brad Shaw and Montreal forward Sylvain Turgeon.

The Kings lost two minor leaguers, Jim Thomson, 26, and John Van Kessel, 22, to Ottawa.