Roster Moves Delayed by Stumpel’s Holdout

Some of the verdict is in, based on training camp and eight exhibition games, but the sentence remains to be rendered for at least three Kings.

One defenseman and two forwards will have to go to bring the roster down to the league-mandated 23, and as of Sunday, those decisions had yet to be completed.

The reason is a hope that Jozef Stumpel will call.

There was an indication that holdout Stumpel’s agent, Benji Robins, would try to reopen negotiations this weekend after they were closed by the Kings a week ago. So far that has not happened, and until the Kings know whether he will be available to play in the season opener Friday at Washington, the fates of Brad Chartrand and Eric Belanger can’t be carried out.

Belanger played center on a line with Luc Robitaille in Saturday’s 5-4 loss to Colorado at Las Vegas “and he had another solid performance,” Coach Andy Murray said Sunday.

Belanger has played well on lines that have included Robitaille and Ziggy Palffy, but would be supplanted if the Kings could get Stumpel in town.

Chartrand is another option at the position.

Lubomir Visnovsky scored again on Saturday and may have played his way onto the team, with fellow rookie Andreas Lilja the odd man out, though again that decision won’t be made until today or Tuesday.

The only cut Sunday was goalie Marcel Cousineau, who was dispatched to Lowell of the AHL. It becomes increasingly likely that goalie Stephane Fiset will start the season on injured reserve, which would open a roster spot for Steve Passmore to back up Jamie Storr.

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Take away two games against the Avalanche, and the Kings’ 5-3 exhibition record was remarkable for its defense. They gave up 15 goals in the eight games, 10 of them scored by Colorado.

Particularly impressive has been the “energy line” of Jason Blake, rookie Steve Reinprecht and veteran Nelson Emerson.

Also impressive has been the “stopper line” of Kelly Buchberger, center Bob Corkum and, on Saturday night, Ian Laperriere.

Corkum had three goals in five games.