There is optimism, burning questions ahead of opener
As the Kings gear up for their season opener Wednesday with higher aims and grander fanfare than any campaign since their 2014 Stanley Cup celebration, there remain significant questions that could determine whether they are poised to go on a run or destined to be also-rans.
CAN THE PENALTY KILL BECOME ADEQUATE? » The Kings struggled to find firm footing on the penalty kill for much of last season, when they finished in the bottom 10 league-wide on the PK. They then killed an abjectly miserable 43% of penalties in their first-round series, which the Edmonton Oilers won in six games in large part because of their historically strong power play.
But the Kings have some recent history of performing special-teams miracles. They transformed a momentum-quelling power play into a formidable weapon last season, going from the NHL's bottom-six to its top-four in
SEASON OPENER
Up next: Avalanche at Kings, Wednesday, 7p.m., TNT, Max
power-play percentage and becoming even more efficient in the postseason. This year, they may envision a similar overhaul of the penalty kill, with a revamped scheme and a more aggressive inclination.
“The decisiveness of when and where to go is not natural yet, I think that's evident, we can see that. But you can see some things that have worked for us,” coach Todd McLellan said. “If we are adjusting any part of our game, it is that penalty kill and it's probably going to take the biggest chunk of time for everything to come naturally.” HOW MANY PLAYERS WILL THEY HAVE AND HOW WILL THEY MANAGE A SHORTENED BENCH? » The Kings are one of several teams in a precarious salary-cap situation, and their tight position against the cap's ceiling will require some roster gymnastics right out of the starting blocks. General manager Rob
Blake acknowledged that operating with a 21-man roster instead of the standard 23 would pose challenges not only to the coaching staff, which would only have one extra player at most available for any sort of injury or matchup substitution, but also to management, as it could expose more players to waivers and potential departures from the organization. The Kings already lost winger Samuel Fagemo to the Nashville Predators and waived forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan on Sunday to see him clear waivers Monday.
Things could get even more complicated in both the long and short run in this regard: there are numerous roster and cap scenarios that could force the Kings to dress fewer than 20 players for some games and they're already confronting one potentially. Winger Arthur Kaliyev was suspended for the first two games of the regular season for kneeing Ducks forward Chase De Leo. Alex Laferriere was called up Monday, possibly to skate in Kaliyev's stead. Already, the Kings will all but certainly have to expose multiple players to waivers ahead of Wednesday's opener. Over time, that type of uncertainty could thin out the prospect pool and also place interstitial players, like Fagemo was and as players such as defenseman Jordan Spence have been, in less secure positions with the Kings and their top minor-league affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
“Having our farm team right next door is always a good thing,” McLellan said. “We can access players as we need them, but it is tough on some individuals that are going to be right at that cut line.”
WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN NET? » The Kings are looking, primarily, to 36-year-old Cam Talbot to halt the dizzying goalie carousel that saw them play four goalies last year and will likely prompt them to utilize at least three different goalies in a by-committee approach this season. He, Pheonix Copley and David Rittich all have opportunities, but Talbot seems like a solid bet to get the nod on opening night for the same coach for whom he started 140 games across two campaigns between 2016 and 2018 with Edmonton.
Copley, 31, restored order to the Kings' crease at a pivotal time last season. However, that stretch roughly doubled his rather limited body of NHL work. Rittich had a mercurial rise through the Calgary Flames organization between 2018 and 2020, but has drawn only tempered interest as a top-level regular since.
“The three of them work together very well. I think (Talbot) can win games for us. I think he can bail us out of a lot of mistakes or situations that we put ourselves in,” McLellan said. “But I think that Copley and Rittich can do that as well. And that's going to be the strength of our crease area is the fact that the three of them can, and probably will, likely do it together throughout the year.”
WILL DUBOIS ELEVATE THE KINGS' PLAY? » The Kings' flashiest addition this offseason was center PierreLuc
Dubois, and it came on the heels of adding defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov at the trade deadline. Bringing them in proved costly, requiring not only significant direct investments in both players but peripheral trades that pumped out assets in exchange for salary flexibility to retain their services.
Dubois was a top draft pick for Columbus and prompted Winnipeg to give up both a 40-goal scorer and a recent first-round pick for him. Conversely, that also means he's on his third team in four seasons. Now, the Kings hope Dubois can flourish next to last summer's big splash, winger Kevin Fiala.
“There's talent, there's creativity, there's size, there's speed, they have escape skills, they've got a lot of real good things going on,” McLellan said. “We've been able to keep them together so that they created some chemistry. I think P.L. (Dubois) is starting to understand some of the words that come out of our mouths and his communication with teammates is getting better.”