TSN review Los Angeles Kings

**kluka68** · January 7th, 2013, 02:51 PM

Los Angeles Kings 2012-13 Preview

The Upside

Dynasty in the Making?

The Kings will look to defend their Stanley Cup from last season with their roster intact.

Stability. Having made their big move at the trade deadline last year when they acquired centre Jeff Carter in a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenceman Jack Johnson, the Kings enter the season with their full playoff roster intact.

Up front that roster includes youngsters Jordan Nolan and Dwight King, who's addition to the lineup in the second half of the season -- combined with Carter -- got the Kings rolling to the tune of a 29-9-3 record (including post-season) to end the year.

The scoring depth they provided was crucial in taking the pressure off first line players Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown and as a result, the Kings became a more balanced team up front with four lines that could find the back of the net. They should be able to carry that over to next season, making LA one of the deepest teams in the NHL.

On defence, after the free-wheeling Johnson was dealt away and the defensive minded Sutter was brought aboard, the Kings were able to establish three consistent pairs of defencemen who only got better as the playoffs wore on. Each pair features a younger, more mobile rear-guard with a dependable veteran presence.The six mainstays played all 20 of LA's playoff games and it was no coincidence that as their familiarity with each other grew, the team's performance got better and better.

That chemistry and cohesion should carry over into 2012-13 and if all six can stay healthy and remain committed to Sutter's defense-first approach, the Kings will again be among the most difficult in the league to score against.

The Downside

Okay, going into the next season wearing a championship ring is hardly considered a con. But as one of the last teams to qualify for the playoffs and the bottom seed in the Western Conference playoffs, the Kings were clearly underestimated by their opponents as they blazed through them to a Stanley Cup Championship. Now with a banner hanging in their arena, they are going to get everyone's best shot as teams attempt to dethrone the title-holders.

Coming off a Cup win, history is something that is working against LA. No team has repeated as champs since the Red Wings in 1998 and with the league's parity increasing by the year – as evidenced by the Kings run despite being a no. 8 seed – the road will only get more difficult.

The team will also have a tough time staying as healthy as they did during the season, especially during their post-season run, where they were forced to make only minor tweaks throughout what is typically a battle of attrition.

LA is hoping its increased depth up front will allow them to absorb any major issues that may come up, but they may be more vulnerable to issues among their top-four defenders, especially after the trade of Johnson, left them relatively thin.

One pressing issue relating to health involves their star goaltender, Quick. He had off-season back surgery in August and was facing a minimum of six weeks of rehab time, but thanks to the prolonged lockout, LA is hoping to have him in net once the puck drops on opening night.