Talk of Gretzky Trade Heats Up After Loss

DETROIT —  King President Rogie Vachon was discussing the Wayne Gretzky situation the other day at the Forum and it triggered a memory.

“It’s a lot like Marcel Dionne,” he said, musing. “He was near the end of his career and he wanted the chance to win.”

So, is history on the verge of repeating itself?

During the third period of an eventual 9-4 victory by Detroit over the Kings on Tuesday night, word spread quickly through Joe Louis Arena that Gretzky was soon to be traded to the New York Rangers for former King left wing Luc Robitaille and center Ray Ferraro.

It was Vachon who called Dionne’s bluff and traded him to the Rangers on March 10, 1987 for Bob Carpenter and Tom Laidlaw. Years later, Gretzky has been urging King management to upgrade the personnel or trade him before the March 20 deadline, pointing out they could lose him for nothing in the summer.

The last time the Kings were here, chaos was unleashed when a Toronto newspaper reported that a deal sending him to St. Louis was “virtually done.” This time, unrest was created by a Las Vegas radio station report.

Ranger General Manager Neil Smith sounded exasperated, telling The Times: “I talked to [King General Manager] Sam [McMaster] only to tell him, if and when he decided he might want to do something, to keep us involved. but that’s the extent of it. This is just the typical rumor of the day.”

But Smith, in talking to a New York reporter, made it clear something was happening as he said he does not discuss trade negotiations.

Was anything ongoing?

“As a policy, we don’t discuss ongoing things,” he said.

Said McMaster: “The only discussions we’ve had with the Rangers is if we came to the conclusion that we were going to trade Wayne is to talk to them about it.”

Have the Kings reached that conclusion?

“That’s one I don’t have the answer for,” McMaster said. “I don’t know how to answer it exactly.”

But McMaster reiterated what Vachon told The Times on Saturday, that the team was willing to listen to offers for Gretzky or any other King player.

“Like I said, when Rogie makes a comment that they’re listening to offers, it’s going to create rumors,” said Gretzky, who added that he had not heard anything specific.

Sources maintain that the teams are working on a deal. Yet other teams such as Chicago and St. Louis could muddle the picture. Blackhawk center Jeremy Roenick recently got into a verbal battle with General Manager Bob Pulford and it is being predicted Roenick would be moved.

One King player maintained that the deal made more sense for the Kings than the Rangers. But there is some concern in New York that the Rangers made a mistake by giving Robitaille, who will turn 30 later this week, a six-year deal worth $19.2 million. He has 17 goals and 53 points in 51 games and his acquisition by Los Angeles would be viewed as a move to bring back the Kings’ past, both positively and negatively.

Ferraro, 31, has 24 goals and 52 points and is in the midst of a three-year deal worth $4.8 million.

Meanwhile the Kings continue to unravel, giving up a season-high nine goals as goaltender Kelly Hrudey faced 41 shots. Even the Red Wings sensed that something is wrong.

“Their team is really struggling,” Detroit’s Steve Yzerman said. “They don’t have a lot of enthusiasm. They’re sitting back waiting for something to happen . . . off the ice. They’re waiting for a spark.”

Gretzky himself suffered a right hip pointer and is questionable for tonight’s game in Buffalo. He was pointless and finished a minus-five on Tuesday.

“It [the hip] is not as sore as my ego,” he said.

Staff writer Helene Elliott contributed to this story.