Re-Signing Boucher Top Priority

While preparing for this weekend’s NHL draft in Toronto, King General Manager Dave Taylor also had several other matters to address.

No. 1 is trying to come to terms with defenseman Philippe Boucher, who if not signed by the end of next week will become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He is expected to draw interest from other teams, driving his price higher.

Taylor also has held preliminary talks with Felix Potvin’s agent about extending the goaltender’s contract. If the Kings exercise their option on Potvin’s current deal, as Taylor said they will, Potvin will be eligible for free agency next summer unless the two sides agree on an extension in the next 12 months.

Having signed highly regarded forward prospects Jared Aulin and Yanick Lehoux over the last two months, Taylor is hoping to reach a deal with Russian left wing Alexander Frolov, generally considered the club’s top prospect, before July 15. If not, Frolov won’t be eligible to join the Kings until the 2003-04 season.

One thing Taylor won’t have to concern himself with is formulating a competitive bid for a big-ticket, soon-to-be unrestricted free agent such as Bill Guerin of the Boston Bruins, Bobby Holik of the New Jersey Devils, Tony Amonte of the Chicago Blackhawks or Teemu Selanne of the San Jose Sharks.

Any of the four would fill the team’s glaring need for a top-of-the-line forward, but the budget-conscious Kings are not interested.

“We’re not looking for a quick fix,” President Tim Leiweke said, “and we’re not going to go out and ultimately throw our economics out the window.”

The Kings hope that one or more of their young prospects--Aulin, Lehoux, Frolov or Mike Cammalleri, who is contemplating giving up his final year of eligibility at the University of Michigan--can crack their lineup next season.

Trades, of course, are always a big part of draft weekend, and Taylor said the Kings will listen to offers.

They hold the 18th, 50th and 66th picks in what is considered the weakest draft in several years, and Taylor said they’d be interested in trading up only if they could land one of the top five or six picks.

“We had a number of teams call with interest in our prospects at the trade deadline [in March], but less so at this point,” Taylor said. “I suppose if the right deal was available, we’d consider moving a prospect. It’s difficult to gauge how these prospects will turn out, but we’d like to give them the opportunity.”

As for locking up Boucher, who made $582,000 last season, Taylor said the Kings have exchanged proposals with the defenseman’s agent, Pat Brisson, but “we’re not really close at this point.”

The Kings seem to feel even less urgency regarding Potvin, who posted a career-best 2.31 goals-against average last season while establishing a club record by playing in 71 games.

Taylor said that, if nothing else, the Kings will exercise their $3.3-million option on Potvin’s contract before the June 30 deadline.

They have yet to offer Potvin an extension proposal, though Potvin’s agent, Jay Fee, said he expected to see one before the end of the month.

“Felix’s view is that we’re open to looking at a long-term proposal now from the Kings,” Fee said. “If we get in a situation where they exercise the option as he approaches free agency, then it’s a little different dynamic....

“When you get closer and closer to unrestricted free agency, I think the clubs understand that players are more than likely going to test the free-agent waters.”