TOP 10 QUESTIONS: TRAINING CAMP (UPDATE)
Well we’re more than a week into Training Camp and some of the storylines have begun to become clearer. Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned so far.
QUESTION ONE:Which goalies will go to which teams?
No significant change here.
Carter George has been loaned back to the Owen Sound Attack. Kuemper and Forsberg are expected to start the season with the Kings. Portillo and Copley should start with the Reign and Isaiah Saville will either play in Ontario or Greenville.
QUESTION TWO: How will the goaltenders work be split up during exhibition games?
At the time of writing, the Kings have played three preseason games and won all three.
Carter George defeated the Ducks in Ontario, Anton Forsberg defeated the Knights in Vegas and Darcy Kuemper earned a shutout against the Ducks in Anaheim. It remains to be seen who will play in the remaining four games on the preseason schedule.
QUESTION THREE: With an additional open roster spot, who saw their odds of making the club rise?
QUESTION FOUR: Who is on the fourth line to start the season with Corey Perry out?
I’m going to once again combine these two questions. Liam Greentree remains in training camp as of the 26th but has skated with the “B Group” the past two days at Camp. The “A Group” and “B Group” are seemingly divided by NHL experience with every returning player from last years roster in “Group A”.
The “open” spot on the fourth line appears to be up for grabs with Samuel Helenius, Andre Lee, Jeff Malott and Akil Thomas all battling for the spot.
We don’t know how many players the Kings will start the season with or how many forwards will be on the roster so there are theoretically one, two or three spots available for those four forwards. However if the Kings decided to carry eight defensemen to start the season it means one less spot is available for a forward.
QUESTION FIVE: Will any prospects get a real chance to earn a contract / play in the NHL?
Jared Woolley and Henry Brzustewicz were released back to the London Knights on Wednesday. With the players assigned to the remaining groups it appears unlikely that any unexpected prospects will make their debut with the Kings to start the season… but plenty of time still remains before the start of the season and things change quickly in the NHL.
QUESTION SIX: How many defensemen will the team start the season with?
Last season the Kings started with eight defenseman. The Kings still have eight defensemen in Camp with close to 100 games of experience (Moverare has 94).
Should the Kings choose to start the season with only seven defensemen then presumably Moverare or Burroughs would be placed on waivers and assuming they cleared, assigned to Ontario once Reign camp begins.
As discussed on All The Kings Men, both players are well liked by the organization and both players are on “one way” contracts.
While there is no strong indication from the organization just yet… my hunch is that they’ll start the season with eight defensemen again.
BUT I’ve been known to be wrong plenty of times before.
QUESTION SEVEN: What will the D-Pairs be to start the season?
Anderson and Doughty will almost undoubtedly start the season as a pair at even strength.
The Kings have only played three preseason games so far and not every player has played in every game but so far it appears the pairs are as expected.
Anderson-Doughty
Edmundson-Clarke
Dumoulin-Ceci
QUESTION EIGHT: Will the Top-9 be the same as the end of last season?
Yes. It seems that way.
QUESTION NINE: Will be top PP unit run with four forwards or five forwards?
We saw extensive time spent on the Power Play at practice today (the 26th) and the Kings were using a five man Power Play unti with Kopitar, Kempe, Kuzmenko, Fiala and Byfield. I’m sure the team will vary their Power Play options as the season progresses but using five forwards is certainly something they are practicing at this point in training camp.
QUESTION TEN: Will Adrian Kempe sign an extension before the season begins?
Not yet but there have been a number of reports about the negotiations lately.
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