Blake Trade Is Working Out

It would have been hard to imagine on the day the deal was struck, but in the 91 games since the Kings traded all-star defenseman Rob Blake to the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 21, 2001, they are 47-24-14-6, 17 points better than they were in the 91 games before they made the deal.

Fearful of losing the former Norris Trophy winner without compensation via unrestricted free agency last summer, the Kings sent Blake and Steve Reinprecht to the Avalanche for Adam Deadmarsh, Aaron Miller, prospect Jared Aulin and first-round picks in the 2001 and 2003 drafts. They used the first of the picks last summer to take David Steckel of Ohio State.

“It set the standard for all unrestricted-free-agency deals,” King Coach Andy Murray said. “It was an unbelievable trade, truly a remarkable deal.”

Murray, however, won’t say the Kings are better off without Blake, who returns to Staples Center tonight for the second time since helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup last June. The wild card in the equation, Murray said, is goaltender Felix Potvin, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks less than a week before Blake was traded.

“It would be difficult for me, out of respect for Rob, to ever say we could be better without Rob,” Murray said. “I think it has worked out for both teams, but you’ll never hear me say we’re better without Rob because he did so much for me.

“I think he helped me get the job here, he was my captain with Team Canada when we won the world championship [in 1997, two years before Murray was hired by the Kings]. I would say Felix Potvin is the difference, and we would have done as well with Rob as without him. Felix came to us at the same time [as Deadmarsh and Miller] and gave us consistency at that position.”

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TONIGHT

vs. Colorado, 7:30

Fox Sports Net, ESPN2

Site--Staples Center.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 34-22-9-4, Avalanche 40-23-7-1.

Record vs. Avalanche--1-2.

Update--The Kings, who rode a 13-2-5-3 stretch run into the playoffs last season, are 7-2-1-1 since the Olympic break and have won five of their last six games, the only loss against the Avalanche, 4-3, on March 9 at Denver.

Tickets--(888) 546-4752.