Rookie’s Date of Reckoning

Dustin Brown doesn’t know the date of the Kings’ 10th game. He has no idea who the opponent will be.

It’s akin to disregarding an annual employee performance review, but it’s not a bad career decision for Brown, the 18-year-old winger who played his third game on the Kings’ top line Saturday.

To a degree, the Kings’ first-round selection in the June draft is racing a cash clock.

Brown signed a three-year, $3.72-million contract Oct. 4, but the deal would be rolled over and begun next season if Brown is returned to his junior hockey team before the Kings’ 10th game.

If that happens, Brown would receive his junior hockey salary this season with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League. He would keep his signing bonus of about $620,000.

The Kings’ 10th game is Nov. 1 against Phoenix.

“I don’t count the games or see what the next game is,” Brown said. “I just try to do my best every day. If I play the best I can, the 10th-game thing won’t matter.”

The Kings have not hidden their confidence in Brown, who had four goals in six exhibition games and has shown similarities to forward Adam Deadmarsh with his toughness in traffic.

Brown has not scored any points in the regular season but has created several scoring chances.

“He might have been the best player on the ice [last Sunday] against Chicago,” King Coach Andy Murray said. “We have not seen any kind of drop-off from the preseason to regular season in Dustin.”

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Defenseman Mattias Norstrom said he could be back for the Kings’ Oct. 30 game against Vancouver.

Norstrom, out since suffering a bruised chest in the first five minutes of the season opener, has been skating without contact.