September 28 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter

On whether winning is important at all in the preseason:
Couldn’t care less. I haven’t even looked at stats or anything. We’re just trying to get everybody to try to do things right. There are some young players that you want to relax, and there are some young players that you want to not relax, and you want the guys you trust to get their game.

On whether he was confident Marian Gaborik would return:
It wasn’t even an issue. We’re not going to negotiate a 35-million dollar contract if the coaches didn’t want the player, I would doubt. [Reporter: I’m not asking about that, but did you feel confident that he was not going to feel free agency?] No, not that he wouldn’t explore it, but at the same time, players that haven’t had long runs in playoffs, generally once they get that opportunity, and they know they’re well received by everybody, and if it’s a good place to play, if it’s a good city, then usually you know that’s an advantage.

On the plan to continue to look at Andy Andreoff at left wing and center:
He’s got to show that he can play at left wing and center. If we’re healthy, we have 13 forwards returning from last year, and nobody’s shown that they’re taking any of those guys places, and that’s for sure.

On Kevin Raine’s performance:
He’s been rewarded for rookie camp. He had his game, and that’s where we’re at. He’s going to have to show he can be an American League player first. Whether he can or not, we’ll see.

On the start to Manchester’s season:
Yeah, they won’t start ‘til the first, whenever the first is. So the medicals are on the 30th. Today’s the 28th, so they don’t skate ‘til the first…Most of the guys are allowed to go get vehicles and drive, and some of the older guys, they probably don’t have to be there on the first. Their season doesn’t start ‘til the middle of the month.

Courtesy of LA Kings Insider reader Jon Bradley, here are photos from this morning’s non-game group practice.