Allison Is Cautious on Return Date

Jason Allison has started skating in El Segundo and says the rehabilitation of his injured right knee is progressing well.

But the Kings’ top-line center labeled as premature Wednesday a published report that, according to his agent, he could be back in the lineup by the middle of next month, two weeks ahead of the most optimistic timetable.

“It’s way too early,” said Allison, who was injured in a knee-on-knee collision with defenseman Andy Sutton of the Atlanta Thrashers on Oct. 29. “I mean, I feel good, considering what happened....

“Maybe I’ll surprise people, but I don’t know. I mean, I’ve [only] skated by myself. Once you’re pushing and you’re off-balance, it’s a huge difference.”

Coach Andy Murray has said he doesn’t expect to have Allison, 27, back in the lineup until February. When Allison was injured, the Kings projected he would be sidelined eight to 12 weeks. A return after eight weeks would put him in the lineup for a Dec. 26 game, a return after 12 for a Jan. 22 game.

“If I get back in eight, we’ll be happy,” said Allison, who has skated 20-45 minutes a day each of the last four days, a brace on his injured knee, and continues to ice the knee four or five times a day. “If something happened and I felt unbelievable and thought I could play [before then], then we’d have a discussion with the doctors and the coaches and management about whether it was possible.”

His agent, Bryant McBride, said a target date for Allison’s return has not been set, “but Jason’s champing at the bit to come back early.”

Allison, who with wife Christine launched a charity foundation Wednesday and will host a celebrity bowling tournament Jan. 20 in Torrance, said he didn’t want to blindly accept a prognosis of eight to 12 weeks on the sideline.

“I don’t want to look at it and say, ‘If I’m back in 10, great,’ ” he said. “I want to look at it like, I’m going to do as much as I can to get back as soon as I can.”

TONIGHT

at St. Louis, 5 PST

Fox Sports Net

Site -- Savvis Center.

Radio -- KSPN (1110).

Records -- Kings 8-6-3-2, Blues 11-5-1. Record vs. Blues (2001-02) -- 2-1-1.

Update -- In the last game of the Kings’ eight-game, 17-day trip, Adam Deadmarsh will sit out because of a concussion for the fourth consecutive game. Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky is expected to return after sitting out Tuesday night’s 2-2 tie with the Minnesota Wild because of back spasms.