Taylor, Looking Toward the Future, Ready to Deal

Memo to the 26 other NHL teams:

If you’re shopping, the Kings’ door is open. If you’re selling, it might be ajar. Seeking young players, draft choices or both, contact Dave Taylor, Great Western Forum, Inglewood, Calif.

Eighteen games remain for a team seven points out of a playoff spot, and Taylor still talks about the Kings getting one, but he is increasingly focused on the future.

“We’d be interested in talking with any team if it means helping our club for the short term, but particularly for the long term,” he said Monday, still trying to shake the cobwebs left by a nine-day European trip.

“We’ve got some players on our team that we obviously aren’t interested in moving, but we’d be willing to discuss a lot of other scenarios.”

Taylor has a few players who might fill roles on competing teams, though prying some of them loose from the Kings might be difficult. Others might not take a lot of prying.

King President Tim Leiweke has talked about an off-season housecleaning and if that happens, it’s up to Taylor to man the broom.

“I think we wouldn’t be very interested in giving up any of our young kids at this point,” Taylor said. “But anything that would help our hockey club, we’d be interested in doing, particularly if it helps us in the long term.”

One thing that might help in the long term is signing defenseman Aki Berg, who is toiling in Finland this season after failing to come to terms with the Kings. Berg has sent word that he has no interest in returning to the Kings, but apparently Taylor didn’t get the message because he saw Berg play two games while in Europe.

“I think he’d like to come back and we’d like to have him back,” Taylor said. “He’s a very good young defenseman.”

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Coach Larry Robinson did not make it back in time for Monday’s practice after spending the weekend in Canada at his mother’s funeral.

He returned later Monday and is expected to be behind the bench for tonight’s game against Detroit.

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Goalie Jamie Storr missed practice because of flu and Ryan Bach, who has served as an occasional fill-in while playing full-time at Long Beach, was summoned. . . . Defenseman Mattias Norstrom was at practice but was sent home because of flu.

TONIGHT vs. Detroit 7:30, Fox Sports West

* Site--Great Western Forum.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 23-36-5, Red Wings 32-26-6.

* Record vs. Red Wings--1-0.

* Update--Detroit is on a 1-3-2 slide and one of the reasons showed up Sunday night in a 3-1 loss to the Mighty Ducks. The Red Wings were one for eight on the power play. Sergei Fedorov remains out, suspended five games because of a slashing incident against the New York Islanders on Feb. 27.

* Tickets--(888) 546-4752.