Potvin Out 6-8 Weeks; Storr Ready

Jamie Storr is positioned for a lengthy audition as the Kings’ No. 1 goaltender after it was announced Thursday that Felix Potvin was expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks because of a sprained right knee.

Potvin, meanwhile, may have played his last game for the Kings.

Before he was injured making a save in the first period of Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, Potvin, 31, had been the Kings’ top goaltender since the trade that brought him from the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 15, 2001.

But he is eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer and the Kings have made little effort to re-sign him. The Kings, close to falling out of the playoff race, are expected to move some or all of their five potential unrestricted free agents before the March 11 trade deadline, but it’s doubtful any offers for Potvin will be forthcoming because of his injury. And if they’re out of the playoff race and don’t plan to re-sign him, they’ll have little reason to use him when he returns.

“I don’t look at it that way,� Potvin said, hopefully. “In the past, I’ve been pretty lucky to come back from injuries fairly quick. Certainly, I’m aiming to come back to play here.�

He said he felt a pop in his knee early in Tuesday’s game at San Jose.

“I’ve never felt anything like that before,� he said. “After that, I could feel that it was a little bit loose down there.�

Still, he was unprepared after a Wednesday MRI exam to learn of the seriousness of the injury: “I was pretty disappointed and pretty surprised.�

Storr, 27, looked forward to a chance to make his mark. “It doesn’t matter if Felix is healthy or not,� he said. “It’s my opportunity to go out there and get the job done, and that’s all I’m looking at.�