Kings Will Lose $20 Million

King President Tim Leiweke confirmed Thursday that the team will lose more than $20 million this season and said that no more than three or four NHL teams would make money.

“Somebody has to make some sense out of this,” he added. “We only have ourselves to blame.”

Included in the $20-million loss is a $4.25-million write-down to settle the contract of defenseman Steve Duchesne, which had three years and more than $11 million to run. He has since been sent to Philadelphia.

Leiweke reiterated that any decision on retaining Coach Larry Robinson and his staff would be made by Dave Taylor, the team’s senior vice president and general manager.

Earlier in the day, Taylor declined to comment when asked to assess the job done by the team’s coaches this season.

Word has filtered from the front office that Robinson’s four-year contract that pays him $700,000 this season will not be renewed.

Robinson has said he wasn’t sure he wanted to return. Robinson added, though, that he wanted time--including a week in late April or early May in Hawaii--to think about it.

But Taylor said Thursday that he would determine the coaches’ fate soon.

“I think it’s the kind of thing you’d have to settle fairly quickly,” Taylor said.

KINGS TONIGHT at San Jose, 7:30 Fox Sports West

* Site--San Jose Arena.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 31-44-5, Sharks 31-32-17.