The thing about a team confronting high expectations and having, as a goal, winning playoff round is that there’s less worry about who will fill out the lineup when the puck drops on opening night.
The KingsAfter three years of rebuilding, we are finally in that space. The last two offseasons have been about adding proven pieces to a team fronted by legacy-made Stanley Cup winners and backed by a prospect pipeline that’s been patiently developed with the hope of another impact player or two materializing.
As Coach Todd McLellan enters his fourth season, he now has a playoff squad. As the Kings play the final exhibition match against the Ducks, McLellan is doing some prodding with a largely set group ahead of Tuesday’s season opener against Vegas. The pieces are mostly in place but it’s now about recapturing what drove them in 2021-22 through a litany of injuries.
“The best thing that I can tell you again is that there’s a group that we’re really happy with,” McLellan told beat reporters in Salt Lake City after the Kings dropped a 6-4 decision to the Golden Knights. “There’s a group – a lot of them aren’t here anymore – there’s still a few that aren’t quite going to get it done. And that’s just the way it is. It’s not possible for everyone to play.
“Our big concern is that middle group and what are they going to do and when are they going to do it. We’ve got three or four days left here before we’ve got to play that team again. Both clubs will get better. They’re going to put different players in the lineup.
