Murray prepared for deadline possibilities

As the Kings held their optional morning skate today, Dean Lombardi walked through one doorway and into another, pausing to take a brief look at the ice. Much like Punxsutawney Phil, Lombardi did not see his shadow. I’m not sure if that means “trade” or “no trade.” With less than an hour to go before the trade deadline, the much-discussed names — Brad Richards, Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner, etc. — have not yet moved, so it should be interesting. Latest word, from reputable folks, is that Richards hasn’t even been asked to waive his no-trade clause. Anyway, after today’s skate, Terry Murray shared his thoughts about possible roster changes…

MURRAY: “With the group that’s in there, chemistry is so big on a hockey team. You’ve got to have the right mix, the right feel. You’ve got to play hard for your teammate every day, and that’s where we’re at. We’re just on page, and know what the job is in front of us. We have to play the right way. Every guy has to bring their best game every day. That’s a key ingredient, a key part of the makeup of your team, is that confidence and that belief in each other. I’m sure everybody is working hard to try to make their team better, and whenever you do make your team better, through a deal, then, as a player who has sat in there [the locker room] over the years myself, you welcome that player. You always want to get better as a team, and so we’ll just wait and see how the rest of the day plays out. But I really like our group of guys. They’ve been together for a couple of years now, and they are close. They battle hard for each other.”

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