Blake Situation Appears Bleak

With no sign of a happy resolution to his stalled contract talks, defenseman Rob Blake on Tuesday considered the notion he may have played his last game as a King.

“It crosses your mind many times,” he said. “But at the same time, you have to go out and play and let things play out. It doesn’t really affect too much what I do on the ice.”

Blake said nothing has changed since last week, when talks with General Manager Dave Taylor and King President Tim Leiweke left a financial chasm. Blake, who will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time July 1, turned down a three-year, $22.5-million offer and is believed to want a deal similar to the three-year, $29.5-million extension St. Louis defenseman Chris Pronger signed in October. Blake said last week he believed the Kings will trade him; the NHL’s holiday trade moratorium ends at midnight tonight.

“It comes down to a business decision, and we can live with that,” said Blake, who repeated he won’t sign an extension if he is traded because he wants to test the free-agent market. “We all knew what the situation would be three years ago.”

Taylor said he spoke Tuesday with Blake’s agent, Ron Salcer, but Taylor wouldn’t discuss the details. Nor would he say if he’s willing to amend the club’s supposed “final” offer.

“There are no real changes in the situation,” Taylor said. “Trade rumors or possible trade scenarios are something I’m not going to discuss. There are a lot of potential free agents July 1. We have four: Rob, Luc Robitaille, Stu Grimson and Bob Corkum.”

Blake, who won the Norris Trophy in 1997-98 and is the career scoring leader among King defensemen, said he wished the talks had gone better. “I’d never say it wasn’t disappointing,” he said. “But until something happens, I have to keep playing. If you let it affect you, that’s the wrong thing. We’ve got to win some games.”

Coach Andy Murray addressed the team Tuesday morning about the distraction the impasse has caused, cautioning players to remain focused on climbing back into a playoff spot in the competitive Western Conference. Murray also wondered aloud why Blake’s situation had become public, while those of impending free agents Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy of Colorado had not become hot topics.

“They’ve kept it quiet, and that’s kind of what was anticipated here, too,” Murray said. “I’m not party to those discussions with Rob. . . . I went through our lineup this morning and checked off who it might be a distraction for. I told them we’ve got a job to do, one way or another.”

Blake said when he predicted he would be traded, he merely was responding to questions about his status, not trying to force the issue.

“What I said is true. I have no regrets whatsoever,” said Blake, probably the Kings’ most recognizable and popular player. “I’m going to tell the truth and that’s exactly what happened. It was a productive meeting. We found out on both sides what’s going to happen.”

Fans who don’t understand why he’s willing to leave haven’t been privy to what has been said by King executives, he said.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here and I’d love to spend more time here,” said Blake, who said he will keep a home in Southern California if he’s traded. “I’ve been fortunate to play 10, 11 years in the same spot. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be sad. Both sides have to make it work out.”

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Taylor will go to Moscow Friday for the world junior championships. Two King prospects will participate: Andrei Shefer (Russia) and Tim Eriksson (Sweden). Most NHL clubs will be represented, so Taylor could make a trade there. . . . Right wings Glen Murray (strained right quadriceps) and Ziggy Palffy (strained right hamstring) skated Tuesday but didn’t take part in contact drills. Both might return during the trip that begins Thursday at St. Louis.