Hunter switch flips back to `off’

The on-again, off-again run continues for Trent Hunter. Hunter played the season opener, sat the second game, played the third game, sat the fourth game and played the fifth game. Now he’s out again, as a healthy scratch, as the Kings turn to Kevin Westgarth on the fourth line, no doubt with one eye cast toward the Coyotes’ resident irritant, Paul Bissonnette. Hunter, signed to a one-year contact after coming to training camp as a non-roster player, is a veteran working his way back from offseason knee surgery. Today, I asked Terry Murray about Hunter’s role, and whether he has talked to Hunter about being a part-time player…

MURRAY: “I’ve had several talks with him. Very specific on role, part-time player? No. I didn’t expect him to be a part-time player when he was signed by us. It’s just kind of evolved that way now, early in the season. I feel that part of it is that I need Westie here tonight. The other side of it is, I want Hunter to be a little bit better in some areas of the ice. That’s been communicated to him.’’