LA Kings: Four Questions Entering The Season

The preseason is nearing its end, and now it’s time to look at some questions the LA Kings face entering the 2023-2024 season.

Training Camp roster updates 👇#GoKingsGo https://t.co/9GMc6XGU0T

— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 1, 2023

With 28 players left and only 21 roster spots available to make the team, the LA Kings will have their hands full. With decisions come questions. Today, we will look at four questions the Kings will face entering the season.

1. Jordan Spence, Brandt Clarke, or both?

The battle for the third right-handed defenseman has had everyone’s attention. Both Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke have a case of making the roster. The Kings could integrate both into the lineup if they choose to break up the Gavrikov-Roy pairing. Would the Kings be willing to do that to add more offense to the backend? Seeing what Todd McLellan said after Monday’s practice, it doesn’t sound like both will make the opening night lineup.

Asked Todd McLellan if there’s a chance we see a right-shot defenseman on the left side similar to Sean Durzi last year:

“If we have to do that this year we’ll certainly do it. But we do feel like we have a little more balance with lefties and righties.”#GoKingsGo

— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) October 2, 2023

While I believe both players should be in the NHL, it sounds like the Kings will only go with one. If I had to pick one to make the roster, I would guess Spence because he’s put in his time in the AHL the past two seasons and is a little more mature defensively. Will we see both on the roster at some point in the season? I guess we’ll find out.

2. Who gets that third left-handed spot on the blue line?

This question hinges on the first one. Since it sounds like only one of Spence and Clarke will make the roster, that means one of Tobias Bjornfot or Andreas Englund will be vying for that third left-handed defenseman spot. With the main players skating in the preseason games this week, Englund has played both games at that position. Could it be Englund who beats out Bjornfot for that spot? Perhaps the suspension of Arthur Kaliyev for four games changes the thinking process for LA, who, with very little cap space, can only have 21 players on the roster, including Kaliyev. Who knows, maybe we see both on the roster until Kaliyev’s suspension is over? After that, what happens?

3. Will Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev break out?

While the Kings will rely on their veterans to carry the load, their younger prospects need to break out, giving hope for the future. Quinton Byfield has long been projected as Anze Kopitar’s replacement when the captain calls it a career but hasn’t shown he’s close to being ready to take over that number-one center spot. Playing at the wing this year, he needs to have that breakout year playing on the top line and eventually play center, proving why the Kings selected him with the second pick in 2020. Does at least 40 points sound doable?

Now, on to Arthur Kaliyev. Kaliyev plays the wing position, which is a logjam. Playing with Kevin Fiala and Pierre-Luc Dubois to start the preseason will allow Kaliyev to play with skilled players at 5-on-5. Drafted because of his scoring abilities, Kaliyev has done just that…on the man advantage. His 5-on-5 play hasn’t been productive. That spot on the third line is Kaliyev’s to lose. With Alex Laferriere impressing this preseason, will Todd McLellan have a short leash on the 22-year-old if he doesn’t produce?

Is this the breakout year for them?

4. Will goaltending hold the Kings back?

This is the same question the Kings faced last year. The only difference is they had $10,800,000 in cap space tied up to two goalies who couldn’t stop a beach ball to start the season. The Kings, this year, will have no more than $2,500,000 committed between the pipes on the opening night roster. That’s just over an $8,000,000 difference. For 16 years Kings fans were used to seeing Jonathan Quick control the crease, now there will be someone else, and a familiar face returning from last year.

Cam Talbot (36), Pheonix Copley (31), and David Rittich (31) will be the new trio in net for the Kings. However, one of them will be placed on waivers and it won’t be Talbot. Talbot is very familiar with McLellan’s system and had one of his best seasons under his watch. The only problem is that career year was the 2016-2017 season where Talbot had a goals saved above expected (GSAx) of 29.0, good enough for 3rd in the NHL, and a save percentage of .919 in 72 games.

While Talbot had a below .900 save percentage in Ottawa last year, just two seasons ago he had a .911 save percentage in Minnesota. Can the Kings get somewhat of that version of Talbot? Will Copley provide at least average goaltending like last year? Will goaltending tank the Kings again like it did to start last season? Will Rob Blake acquire another goalie at the deadline again? Goaltending is the main skepticism of the team and it’ll be heavily criticized if they play poorly.

Featured image credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images