Fleury Wants to Test the Market

Theoren Fleury, pursued by the Kings since August, could yet become a King, but the quest might take a full year.

Anything earlier than that is unlikely after Fleury turned down a four-year, $25-million offer to sign with the Kings, a requirement before they would be willing to trade anyone of substance to the Calgary Flames.

Fleury, who leads the Flames with 26 goals and 60 points, has said he is determined to seek his free-agent fortune. He can be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is expected to spend a summer being courted by teams from all over the NHL.

“It’s the one time a player is really in control of his career,” Fleury said.

With the trading deadline on March 23, Dave Taylor, the King general manager and vice president, and Calgary General Manager Al Coates have had discussions about Fleury. Several player combinations have been mulled, including, according to one source, the Kings’ Yanic Perreault and Pavel Rosa going to the Flames.

Another report had prospects and draft choices being on the plate.

Taylor refused to discuss players who might be in any deal Thursday, and King President Tim Leiweke has said that he believes the price is too high for Fleury. Both he and Taylor have talked about a commitment to the Kings’ future with young players, but Leiweke is known to covet a star to promote next season in the new downtown Staples Center.

Fleury has said that he would prefer to play in the Western Conference, the better to keep closer ties with his family in Calgary, and that playing with the Kings interests him because of their new facility.

But doing anything before the summer appears unlikely now, barring a change of heart or the Flames lowering their asking price.

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Right wing Glen Murray said he would not set a date for his return after a torn ligament in his right knee “because if I don’t make it, I would be disappointed.”

“What I’ll do is wake up, feel good and then play,” Murray added Thursday.

He has been skating regularly and with increasing fervor recently, but he had a setback a week ago when he collided with teammate Donald Audette during a practice.

“It scared me,” Murray said after the two had banged knees. “I thought I had hurt it again. It got stiff, but it was OK.”

Murray, who missed his 19th consecutive game Thursday, will make the five-game trip that begins Saturday night at Calgary, and could play in any or all of the games. He is eager to get back into the lineup, but that eagerness is tempered by several things, including his lack of conditioning and a determination to make his return permanent, rather than truncated, as so many others have been after injury.

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Forward Vladimir Tsyplakov sprained a ligament in his left knee in the third period. He will have an MRI exam today.