Selection of Center Aulin Completes Blake Trade

The Kings on Thursday selected Jared Aulin, a 19-year-old center, from the Colorado Avalanche to complete the Rob Blake deal of Feb. 21.

“We’re pleased to have him in our organization,” General Manager Dave Taylor said. “Jared is highly skilled and very creative. He’s a top prospect.”

Aulin has 31 goals and 107 points in 69 games this season for Kamloops of the junior-level Western Hockey League. He is 6 feet tall, weighs 185 pounds and was the Avalanche’s second-round pick in the 2000 draft. He is expected to complete the season in the WHL.

The Kings acquired Aulin, defenseman Aaron Miller and winger Adam Deadmarsh from the Avalanche for Blake and forward Steven Reinprecht. Colorado also owes the Kings two draft picks. One is a first-rounder and the other could be too, if Blake, an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, re-signs with the Avalanche. The Kings will receive a second-round pick if Blake does not re-sign with Colorado.

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Coach Andy Murray said all the right things after the Kings’ 7-0 loss Wednesday to the Edmonton Oilers, including, “The key for us right now is that we are in a game-by-game battle and we have to put this game behind us.”

But the eighth-place Kings can’t afford to have any repeats in their final nine games if they expect to strengthen their hold on a playoff spot.

Five of their last nine games are at home, only three are against sub-.500 clubs and, fortunately for the Kings, they are done for the season with the Oilers. Edmonton outscored the Kings, 20-7, in taking three of four games.

The Kings finish the regular season with home games Saturday against the Mighty Ducks, Monday against the San Jose Sharks, March 29 against the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets, March 31 against the Avalanche and April 2 against the Vancouver Canucks. They have road games Tuesday at San Jose, April 3 at the Phoenix Coyotes, April 5 at Vancouver, and April 7 at the Calgary Flames.