Robitaille Returns to Kings

For the second time since taking over as King general manager in April, Dave Taylor acquired a former teammate Thursday, hoping to relieve the team’s scoring problems.

Taylor completed a long-rumored deal, sending Kevin Stevens to the New York Rangers for Luc Robitaille, who played with Taylor and the Kings from 1986 to 1994.

“We’ve had discussions [about a Stevens-for-Robitaille trade] going back to last season, but we hadn’t talked for a while until some [newspaper] articles rekindled interest,” Taylor said. “We talked about expanding the trade, but we settled on a one-for-one [deal].”

In picking up Robitaille, 31, the Kings not only get back one of the franchise’s most popular players, but a veteran who figures to boost the team’s weak power play, among the NHL’s worst last season.

Robitaille is expected to get plenty of ice time, along with former King defenseman Garry Galley, whom Taylor signed to a free-agent contract in July, as the Kings try to end a four-year playoff drought.

“I’ve known Luc since he was 18, attending his first training camp, and I’ve watched him mature as an individual and as a player,” Taylor said. “He’ll be an asset in providing guidance to our younger players.”

In his eight seasons with the Kings, the high-scoring Robitaille was a fan favorite. He never scored fewer than 44 goals in a season and he posted a career-high 63--still an NHL record for a left wing--in 1992-93, the season the Kings reached the Stanley Cup finals.

Robitaille, however, has struggled since he was traded by the Kings. He finished with 23 goals in 46 games during the lockout-shortened season with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1994-1995 and had only 47 goals combined over the last two seasons with the Rangers.

Robitaille, who was slowed with a broken foot last season, said he was happy to rejoin the Kings.

“I want to help this team win,” he said. “I learned a lot over the last few years. . . . I want to come in and really work with the guys to win.”

Stevens, 32, was unable to give the Kings the type of production they had hoped for when they got him from Boston in 1996.

In 89 games with the Kings, Stevens had 17 goals and 47 points, a far cry from the consecutive 50-goal seasons he had with Pittsburgh in the early ‘90s.

“The last couple of years have been very hard for me,” Stevens said. “I never got to the level where I wanted to be, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t trying.

“My experience with the Kings was great. I think the team is going in the right direction and is going to win next year or the year after. I would have had no hard feelings if I was still with the Kings. But they are rebuilding and going to a team like the Rangers is good for me because they have a chance to win the [Stanley] Cup.”

Robitaille is third on the Kings’ goal-scoring list with 392 and fourth overall with 803 points.

“Luc makes his money around the goal by putting the puck in the net,” said Coach Larry Robinson, who played with Robitaille from 1989-92. “His experience should work well with our young guys.

“I know Luc played a little on the same line with [King center] Ray [Ferraro] in New York but we may experiment with him with some other [combinations].”

King Notes

The Kings may be in the hunt for Vancouver forward Pavel Bure, 26, who recently requested a trade after the Canucks signed free agent Mark Messier. Vancouver General Manager Pat Quinn has talked with the Kings about Bure, who is scheduled to make $11 million over the last two years of his contract.

“We’ve had discussions but it is something that I do not like to comment on,” Taylor said. “I anticipate that there may be more [discussions with Quinn].”