There is optimism, burning questions

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 topfour in 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