NHL PREVIEWS : It's Time to Regain All That Was Lost : Kings: But it may take not one, but two Great Ones--Gretzky and Robinson--to restore their tattered reputation.

NHL PREVIEWS : It’s Time to Regain All That Was Lost : Kings: But it may take not one, but two Great Ones--Gretzky and Robinson--to restore their tattered reputation.

By LISA DILLMAN

Oct. 7, 1995 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

While the Kings’ future was being debated in court earlier this week, one lawyer pointed out, rather obviously, that an investment group was willing to spend $113 million for “a team that hadn’t finished in the playoffs the last two years.”

But then a tone of optimism came from an unexpected source, the judge, Lisa Hill Fenning, who had watched the team’s inevitable summerlong slide into bankruptcy.

“[The Kings] came within one day [last season] . . . well, maybe the new coach,” she said.

That would be Larry Robinson, whose reputation precedes him, even into bankruptcy court. One might say the Kings have two Great Ones, considering the hosannas tossed Robinson’s way since he was hired in July.

Financial order will be officially restored Tuesday when the sale of the team to Denver billionaire Philip F. Anschutz and local developer Edward P. Roski Jr. is expected to close. And it is Robinson’s assignment to reinstate some semblance of order on the ice, starting with tonight’s season opener against Colorado.

The original Great One, Wayne Gretzky, noted that it was difficult to have one without the other last season.

“It was ridiculous,” said Gretzky, who is starting his 17th NHL season and is in the final year of his contract.

“It really filtered through the hockey club. There were six guys whose paychecks bounced. When you have this in one of the largest media centers, the city deserves better. This was a big step. Now we can move on.

“Management’s hands have been strapped. Obviously money has been an issue whether people want to admit it or not. Now money will be put in the team. We’re in one of the biggest sports centers, you have to be able to compete. And with neighbors [the Mighty Ducks] down the street, we’ve got to be competitive.”

After the huge step of bringing in Robinson, a Hall of Fame defenseman, and his common-sense, controlled defensive system, the Kings did not make many other drastic changes. Most significant, they acquired left wing Dimitri Khristich and goaltender Byron Dafoe from Washington in a draft-day trade. Khristich has been skating on a line with Gretzky, and Dafoe will be the starting goaltender in place of Kelly Hrudey, who is on the injured reserved because of a sprained left ankle.

“I requested a trade to the Kings in March; who knows, maybe that had something to do with them making the trade in July,” said the 24-year-old Dafoe, who has appeared in 10 games over the last three seasons with the Capitals.

Said Robinson: “I like his quickness and his competitiveness. There was a game in Vegas where he got beat on three goals and we had a talk. He said, ‘No, no. I’m fine.’ And he went back and competed.”

Other new faces in the lineup are Finnish defenseman Aki-Petteri Berg, the team’s first-round pick and third overall in July. Berg is expected to take a regular shift and will get some minutes on the power play. One of the bigger surprises of camp was right wing Vitali Yachmenev, the team’s third-round draft pick in 1994.

Gretzky, trying to rebound from a sub-par season of 11 goals and 48 points, is adamant the Kings need to make additional changes.

“The first year we missed the playoffs, everyone seems to wonder, but when you miss it the second year in a row, you need to make changes,” he said. “You don’t go from 25th overall to first with only two changes.”

Until that happens, Gretzky is clearly going to need some offensive support. He was the only King with more than 20 assists last season, and the team’s second-line center, Robert Lang, had four goals in 36 games. Right wing Rick Tocchet excelled--with 35 points in 36 games--but his ailing back gave way in the final stages of the season.

“Better players had the weight of the world on their shoulders,” Hrudey said. “It’s an unhealthy road to nowhere.”

Said Robinson: “I’d rather have 20 guys trying to carry the team than one. It’s time for somebody else to start carrying the load and let Wayne Gretzky enjoy the game like he once enjoyed it.”

Stability, on and off the ice, should count for something.

“We all know with Larry that this is a time-tested theory,” said Hrudey of the defensive system. “This isn’t something that we’re going to try and abandon after a couple of weeks if it doesn’t work.”

Which is why Robinson isn’t promising a quick fix. He was asked on Friday if he had anything to say to King fans in advance of the opener.

“Thank you for being patient,” he said.