The skates are laced. The sticks are taped. You have a nickname for your teammates. Cardio is in and you step on the ice for the first time in months. The rookie camps and tournaments are over and the main camps are currently running. The pre-season games are in full effect. The coaches are ready to determine who stays and who goes. The camps, practices and games before the season opener are so important this time of year. The hard work begins to pay off and you ready yourself for competition.
Time for hockey is in full swing. With a team full of promise there are a few things worth paying attention to. How will Kovalchuk look and fit in? What adjustments do the Kings coaches make before the season? How will Doughty play now that he is locked up for 8 more years? The rookies had a good camp before the veterans hit the ice and showed some poise. Within a week or so before we know which rookies are staying and which ones will be taking their talents to the AHL or minor league camps.
Not only is the division better, but the conference as a whole is much more defined. The Kings will certainly have a battle on their hands. Kovalchuk has been skating on the top line with Kopitar and should be a good fit for him to get adjusted to the Kings style of play. Yes he is older, however, he is still scoring goals with regularity, even at the KHL. This team has me excited to make another run. The Kings did not make many changes and, to be honest, they didn’t need to make many. They showed last year they can hang with anyone in the conference and this year should be no different.
Photo: NHL.com
