Season Preview: 3 questions facing the Kings
Over the past five seasons, few teams have been on the same level as the Los Angeles Kings.
They haven't claimed a Pacific Division title in their run of dominance, but two Stanley Cup banners atop the Staples Center rafters make that easy to cope with.
Still, after missing the playoffs in 2014-15, and after a first-round exit last season, it looks as though the Kings' throne is quickly becoming a hot seat.
Los Angeles will likely be in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race again this season, but the team isn't without its uncertainties.
Here are three questions as puck drop approaches.
Is the defense enough?
The Kings may own the game's best defender in Drew Doughty, while Jake Muzzin is an elite No. 2, but the rest of their blue line is, to put it lightly, thin.
A lack of defensive depth was Los Angeles' undoing in the postseason, as it was unable to contain four lines of potent offense from the San Jose Sharks, and frankly, the problem still exists.
Stuck near the salary cap ceiling, general manager Dean Lombardi has virtually no flexibility to bring in new bodies, unless he manufactures a trade, which would probably have to include a young forward he doesn't want to give up.
Can Dustin Brown rediscover his game?
Dustin Brown's perplexing fall from grace finally hit rock bottom when he was stripped of his captaincy in the offseason.
Brown donned the "C" in 2008, but it was since handed to Anze Kopitar in the wake of another grim season.
Since he recorded five consecutive seasons of 50-plus points (2008-12), Brown hasn't reached the 30-point plateau. He was relegated to fourth-line duties last season, finishing the campaign with 11 goals and 17 assists.
Perhaps losing his captaincy can relieve some pressure, and the Kings better hope so, as Brown is on their books for five more seasons at a cap hit of $5.875 million.
Can they score?
Last season, Los Angeles ranked 14th league-wide in goals per game (2.72), making the loss of Milan Lucic sting even more.
Again, the lack of financial wiggle room prevented Lombardi from luring most free agents, although the addition of Teddy Purcell could provide valuable secondary scoring.
24-year-old Tyler Toffoli led the Kings with a career-high 31 goals last year, followed by Kopitar and Jeff Carter, who both surpassed 20.
Afterward, their wasn't much production. A full season of Marian Gaborik may help, but the Kings' bottom-six will have to step up for this team to return to its previous level.