Kings season preview: Kovalchuk adds scoring threat

The 2018-19 NHL season begins Oct. 3. With training camps open, NHL.com is taking a look at the five keys, the inside scoop on roster questions and the projected lines for all 31 teams. Today, the Los Angeles Kings.

Coach:John Stevens (second season)
Last season:45-29-8; fourth place Pacific Division, lost to Vegas Golden Knights in Western Conference First Round

5 KEYS

1. Kovalchuk's impact

Ilya Kovalchuk returns to the NHL after five seasons with St. Petersburg SKA in the Kontinental Hockey League. The Kings signed the two-time 52-goal scorer to a three-year, $18.75 million contract (average annual value $6.25 million) to jump-start an offense that scored 2.89 goals per game last season (16th in NHL) and three goals in a four-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference First Round.
Kovalchuk scored at least 30 goals in each of his past two KHL seasons, but the question remains how much the 35-year-old forward has left returning to the NHL, which has trended more toward youth and speed. He'll get an immediate chance to prove it at left wing on the top line.

2. Secondary scoring

Kopitar led Los Angeles with 92 points (35 goals, 57 assists) last season, followed by Brown, who had 61 points (28 goals, 33 assists), defenseman Drew Doughty, who had 60 (10 goals, 50 assists), and forward Tyler Toffoli, who had 47 (24 goals, 23 assists). Kopitar, Brown and Toffoli were the only Kings to score more than 16 goals.
It's imperative Toffoli, center Adrian Kempe and forward Alex Iafallo each take the next step in his development. Toffoli, 26, had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in his final 40 games last season. Kempe, 22, ended the season on a 33-game goal drought (including playoffs) after scoring 16 goals in his first 52 games. A return to health by center Jeff Carter, who missed 55 games with a lacerated ankle tendon, would help, as would rookie center Gabriel Vilardi if he can overcome back issues and make the roster out of training camp.

3. Power play

Kovalchuk should help improve a power play that was tied for 17th in the NHL last season (20.4 percent). In Kovalchuk's last full season in the NHL in 2011-12, his 29 power-play points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 77 games with the New Jersey Devils were tied with teammate Patrik Elias for fifth in the NHL.
Kopitar led Kings forwards with 27 power-play points (seven goals, 20 assists) last season, but that was 12 more than Dustin Brown. Despite playing 27 games, Carter's six power-play goals were tied for third with Toffoli behind Brown (nine) and Kopitar.

4. The old guard

Kovalchuk is the oldest skater on a roster that likely will have nine players who are at least 30 years old, including six from their Stanley Cup championship teams in 2012 and 2014. The window for another title may be closing, but coach John Stevens believes there remains enough time to make another run.
"To be honest with you, I read somewhere lately our team is getting older, but I don't see our window as being small," Stevens said. "The way these guys train nowadays -- if you know Jeff Carter, Kopitar and Brown -- they train extremely hard. They really pay attention to nutrition, rest and recovery."
Brown, however, is out indifinitely with a broken finger sustained in a preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks on Sept. 29.

5. Quick's workload

Goaltender Jonathan Quick, 32, has won at least 33 games in three of the past four seasons and won the 2017-18 William M. Jennings Trophy for helping the Kings allow the fewest goals in the regular season (202).
Jack Campbell finished last season as Quick's backup after Darcy Kuemper was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on Feb. 21 and earned at least a point in his four starts (2-0-2, 2.47 goals-against average, .924 save percentage). The No. 11 pick by the Dallas Stars in the 2010 NHL Draft will get his first real opportunity to stick in the NHL at age 26 and help manage Quick's workload. Quick played 3,677 minutes last season, sixth in the NHL but significantly fewer than the NHL-high 4,034 he played in 2015-16.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

Los Angeles wants to get younger and faster, and more options are becoming available. Vilardi, if healthy, will get a chance to play in the NHL out of training camp.
A dark-horse candidate could be Jaret Anderson-Dolan. The 19-year-old center prospect, a second-round pick (No. 41) in the 2017 NHL Draft, began the Vegas Rookie Faceoff with three points (two goals, one assist), opening eyes in the Kings front office.
"They want me to push for a roster spot," Anderson-Dolan told The Athletic on Sept. 9. "That's something they've been talking about with me for a while. That's been my goal all summer. They want me to force their hand, to keep me in L.A."
At defenseman, eyes will be on Paul LaDue, Oscar Fantenberg, and Daniel Brickley, a college free agent who had 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 40 games for Minnesota State University Mankato last season.

Most intriguing addition

Kovalchuk has had a decorated NHL career. His 41 goals for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003-04 tied Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) for the Rocket Richard Trophy, and he has 816 points (417 goals, 399 assists) in 816 NHL games. He'll validate the Kings' commitment to him and give a needed spark to the offense if he proves he still has gas in the tank and jells quickly with Kopitar and Brown.

Biggest potential surprise

Brown's injury likely will move Iafallo to the top line. After going undrafted, Iafallo had 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 75 games in 2017-18. A step up in production by the 24-year-old will show that wasn't a fluke and further strengthen the depth of the Kings' lineup.

Ready to break through

Vilardi looked strong during development camp before his back flared up training for the World Junior Summer Showcase. When healthy, the 19-year-old has shown why he was the No. 11 pick in the 2017 draft. He had 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 32 games for Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League in 2017-18 after missing the first half of the season and 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 16 OHL playoff games.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Ilya Kovalchuk -- Anze Kopitar -- Alex Iafallo
Tanner Pearson -- Jeff Carter -- Tyler Toffoli
Austin Wagner -- Adrian Kempe -- Gabriel Vilardi
Kyle Clifford -- Michael Amadio -- Trevor Lewis
Derek Forbort -- Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin -- Alec Martinez
Dion Phaneuf -- Paul LaDue
Jonathan Quick
Jack Campbell