Kings Want Playfair to Play Tough : Hard-Nosed Defenseman Is Key in Trade With Buffalo

Pat Quinn has been looking for a rugged defenseman since he was named coach of the Kings last season.

Quinn, who was a hard-nosed defenseman during his playing days, has always wanted a tough guy who could keep opposing centers from camping in front of the net.

He has one now.

Late Wednesday night, the Kings traded center Doug Smith and defenseman Brian Engblom to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Larry Playfair, right wing Sean McKenna and the rights to junior defenseman Ken Baumgartner.

Playfair was the key to the deal for the Kings. He is one of the most respected and feared defensemen in the National Hockey League. Some coaches say that Playfair, 6-4 and 220 pounds, even has trouble getting into fights because of his reputation.

Even so, Playfair was the first Buffalo player to compile more than 1,000 penalty minutes. And last season, he battled former King Brian MacLellan, 6-3 and 212, in what was widely acclaimed as the best hockey bout at the Forum.

“From what I know about him, Larry doesn’t have a mean streak,� Quinn said. “He can play physical, but he doesn’t go out of his way to fight. He was trained to play tough, strong and physical.

“A guy like Larry will be a hell of an asset to us. He’s respected as a tough player.�

Playfair and McKenna, who were in Winnipeg at the time of the trade, will remain there and join the Kings for a two-game series against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday and Sunday. The Kings, in third place in the Smythe Division, lead the Jets and Vancouver Canucks by one point.

“I expected the trade,� Playfair told a Buffalo reporter. “Something was going to happen. I haven’t been playing great, and the team hasn’t been playing well.�

Buffalo General Manager Scotty Bowman, hockey’s most prolific winner as a coach, recently fired rookie Coach Jim Schoenfeld and took over behind the bench, but the team has lost four straight games. Playfair and Schoenfeld are former teammates and good friends. Playfair, 27, was drafted first by Buffalo and 13th overall in 1978. He has 24 goals and 72 assists in 530 games for the Sabres, while accumulating 1,278 penalty minutes. He has one goal and two assists this season.

McKenna, 23, had a career-high 20 goals and 16 assists in 65 games last season, and has 6 goals and 12 assists in 45 games so far this season. The Kings say they’ll experiment with McKenna by moving him from right to left wing.

Smith, 22, was the key to the deal for the Sabres. “We’ve wanted him for a long time,� Bowman said.