Kings Draft Defense, Add Offense : Hockey: They give up next year’s No. 1 pick to get Khristich from Capitals. Ducks draft big center Kilger. Mogilny traded to Canucks.

In dire need of scoring, the Kings took a serious gamble with their future Saturday at the NHL’s entry draft, acquiring 25-year-old forward Dimitri Khristich and goaltender Byron Dafoe from the Washington Capitals for their first-round and fourth-round picks in next year’s draft.

Hours earlier, the Kings and the Mighty Ducks held on to their first-round choices with the Kings selecting hard-hitting Finnish defenseman Aki-Petteri Berg at No. 3 and the Ducks getting some size up front with 6-foot-3 center Chad Kilger from Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League at No. 4. Berg became the highest drafted player from Finland.

The day was somewhat overshadowed by the Buffalo Sabres’ fire sale. Buffalo traded all-star right wing and former 76-goal scorer Alexander Mogilny and a fifth-rounder in this draft to Vancouver for center Mike Peca and defenseman Mike Wilson and the No. 14 pick (Jason Doig). Mogilny, who will make $3.75 million next season, will be reunited with former junior linemate Pavel Bure.

Additionally, Buffalo center Dale Hawerchuk, an unrestricted free agent, signed with the St. Louis Blues. In another payroll-trimming effort, Pittsburgh traded defenseman Larry Murphy to Toronto for defenseman Dmitri Mironov and a second-round draft pick in 1996.

The King-Capital deal will greatly benefit Washington if the Kings end up missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Washington could then enter the draft lottery with a potential shot at the top choice next year.

Even though the Kings have been stressing the importance of keeping their No. 1 pick, their lack of scoring punch apparently was enough to convince General Manager Sam McMaster.

“I hope it’s not going to be written that it was another case of us giving away another first-round pick,” McMaster said. “I did trade a first-round pick, but I don’t like trading picks because I’m a scout and that’s my nature. We have to produce on the ice right now, and there’s no question we gained a player who can help us win now.”

Khristich, who was born in Kiev and has been with the Capitals since 1990, was stunned by Saturday’s developments. He had 12 goals--eight on the power play--and 26 points in 48 games in the lockout-shortened season.

“[Washington General Manager] David Poile told me at the end of the season that I’m not going to be traded,” Khristich said, speaking from his home in Maryland. “I guess he found his own reason. It is the first time I’ve been traded; I need a little time to get used to the idea. I’m looking forward to playing for someone who needs me.”

Right now, the Kings plan to use Khristich on the first line with Wayne Gretzky and on the power play. Dafoe, 24, who appeared in four games last season, is expected to be the No. 1 goaltender for the Kings’ minor league team in Phoenix.

Khristich is a proven scorer, but one area of concern is his declining production who has three years left on his contract and will make $1 million next season. In 1991-92, he scored 36 goals and had 73 points in 80 games and dropped to 29 goals and 58 points in 83 games in 1993-94. Last season, he played on a line with center Michal Pivonka and right wing Peter Bondra but had been benched at times late in the game.

“We had a good team in Washington that year,” he said of his 73-point performance. “An older guy like [Dino] Ciccarelli, I think I played better with someone like that who leads the team. And then I’m getting more competitive. Since then, all the changes in Washington, it kind of screwed me up. Because of that, I produce not as much.”

Joining Khristich at training camp will be the 6-3, 196-pound Berg, who finishes his military obligations Sept. 9, one day before camp opens. Berg, who combines a decent blend of offense and defense, has been compared to Scott Stevens even though he doesn’t turn 18 until later this month. He was asked about his ferocious hitting style.

“When I’m on the ice, I’m not trying to kill them,” he said through an interpreter. “But stuff happens.”

Said McMaster: “It wasn’t hard--all six of our scouts had him No. 1 and so did our computer. You can trade a good forward for a good defenseman. But it’s real difficult to trade for a good defenseman.”

Two defensemen went ahead of Berg. Ottawa took Bryan Berard of the Detroit Jr. Wings with the first pick, and the Islanders selected Wade Redden from Brandon of the Western Hockey League at No. 2.

The 18-year-old Kilger, at No. 4, was the top forward in the draft as he recorded 95 points and 95 penalty minutes for his junior team last season. He has a strong family hockey background, spending his early years riding the buses with his father’s junior team, which included Hawerchuk and Doug Gilmour. His father, Bob, was the defensive partner of Bobby Orr in juniors, an NHL referee, a coach and is now a deputy speaker in Canada’s House of Commons.

Now Kilger, who has gone from 206 pounds to 215 pounds in the last two weeks, could be competing against Gilmour and Hawerchuk and eventually playing on a line with Paul Kariya. “With my size, I hope I can create some room for him,” Kilger said. “I can drive the net and create some space.”