Allison, Deadmarsh to Miss Opening Trip

The worst-case state of affairs was confirmed Monday, three days before the Kings begin the season in Detroit against one of the top defenses ever assembled.

Forwards Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh, slow to recover from head injuries sustained last season, will not make the three-game trip that starts Thursday, Coach Andy Murray said.

Thus, Allison and Deadmarsh also will not be at Pittsburgh on Friday or Chicago on Sunday, Murray said.

“They’re feeling better every day, but feeling better and being there are not the same with that type of injury,” Murray said.

Allison, sidelined since February after suffering three whiplash collisions in a 10-day span, said it could take three weeks for him to return, although it is difficult to predict time frames for head and neck injuries.

“We’ll probably be looking at things after the road trip,” Allison said. “It could take a few days, it could take three weeks. I don’t know.”

Deadmarsh, out since December after he suffered two concussions, skated with Allison in a small group Monday morning. Neither player has done any contact work.

Defenseman Aaron Miller, out with a fractured wrist, also will not play on the trip, Murray said.

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Free-agent training-camp invitee Lubos Bartecko did not accept a one-year contract offer and is no longer in the team’s plans.

Bartecko had a goal and an assist in four exhibition games and was offered a two-way deal believed to be worth at least $110,000 and as much as $450,000 if he spent the entire season with the Kings.

Bartecko is looking for a deal that guarantees him a full season with an NHL club. He is also considering options in Europe.