Palffy Upset by Trades

In moves designed to make them a younger team, the Kings traded away two of their top three scorers this week.

The ultimate price, however, might be even steeper.

Ziggy Palffy, who made clear his desire to remain with the Kings as trade rumors swirled around him last month, seems to be having second thoughts about staying after the club moved Mathieu Schneider and Bryan Smolinski.

The Kings, all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, jettisoned the veteran team leaders in the final hours before Tuesday’s NHL trading deadline. Smolinski, 31, was sent to the Ottawa Senators before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Schneider, 33, was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings before he becomes unrestricted in the summer of 2004.

The Kings made little effort to re-sign either player.

For Schneider, their second-leading scorer behind Palffy, they got two young Red Wing spare parts, neither expected to be a star, and two draft picks.

For Smolinski, their No. 3 scorer and top defensive forward, they picked up the rights to a 20-year-old defenseman who has yet to sign a pro contract.

Among those miffed and mystified by the moves was Palffy, who will be due $7 million next season after the Kings exercise their option on the last year of his contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in July 2004.

Last month, his agent, Paul Kraus, asked the club if it was interested in beginning talks for a long-term contract extension.

But Tuesday’s trades clearly rattled the high-scoring winger.

“We don’t need to just give away guys,” said Palffy, whose brilliant play -- he leads the club with 31 goals, 72 points and a plus-15 rating -- kept the Kings in the playoff race much longer than they could have reasonably expected in a season ravaged by injuries.

“I don’t want to play hockey just to survive,” he said. “I want to play hockey to win the Stanley Cup. That’s what it’s all about.

“What happened [Tuesday], I think it’s really sad. I hope they’re going to do something in the summertime. Overall, we have to be better.

“You can’t play with an average team in this league.”

Might he reconsider his pursuit of a long-term deal?

“I’m not going to say anything right now,” he said. “I think it’s too far. We’ll see what’s going to happen in the summer.... At the right time, I’m going to tell you.”

In the meantime, he said, “It’s a difficult time right now. It’s sad to see two of our best players [go]. We just gave away two good guys. It’s going to be tough to battle all the way to the end [of the season], but we are professionals. We have to battle. That’s our job. We can do nothing about it.”

TODAY

at Washington, 4 PST

Site -- MCI Center.

Radio -- KSPN (710).

Records -- Kings 29-33-4-4, Capitals 33-25-8-5.

Record vs. Capitals (2001-02) -- 0-0-0-1.

Update -- The Capitals, leading the Southwest Division, are headed to the playoffs. The Kings are 0-8 against playoff teams since Jan. 30.