Miller and Sopel Ready to Step Up

Defenseman Aaron Miller moved, maybe not in a blur, but certainly quicker than anything the Kings saw from him last season. He zeroed in on Anze Kopitar, then violently pressed the rookie against the boards with percussive effect.

Brent Sopel danced up the ice, without his knee buckling, maneuvered around an opponent, then chipped the puck off the boards, creating a scoring opportunity.

These were sights for sore eyes, not of sore bodies, for the Kings during a team scrimmage Friday.

A year ago, Miller was more statue than defenseman, a chronically cranky back rendering him unfit for duty. A year ago, Sopel was acquired in a trade with the New York Islanders, two days after suffering a cracked kneecap.

Miller underwent hip surgery, which he hopes will relieve the stress on his back, Sopel had his kneecap repaired and both are ready to make quantum leaps back into the lineup.

The Kings, who need some breakthrough performances from their forwards, feel comfortable with their defense. Rob Blake, Lubomir Visnovsky, Mattias Norstrom and Tim Gleason give the team a solid core on defense. A healthy Miller and Sopel add quality and depth.

“We think this will be a very difficult defensive unit to play against,” Coach Marc Crawford said. “We can go eight deep back there, with real high-end players like Rob and Lubby.”

Miller and Sopel can be key components to the group.

For Miller, it has been a long road. He has suffered from back problems the last three seasons, which limited him to 56 games last season, and he underwent surgery in April.

Miller isn’t about to pronounce himself physically fit. He spends 1 1/2 hours after practice doing physical therapy. “So far it feels good, but I think I’ll need to get in the daily grind before I see how it responds, “ Miller said.

Having Miller even near to 100% gives the Kings a solid stay-at-home defenseman with nine seasons of experience.

“The way I feel right now, this is the best chance I have at playing this game the way I can,” Miller said.

Sopel seems determined to wash away his post-trade performance last season. An effective mobile defenseman when healthy, he played in only 11 games after the March 8 deal and was largely ineffective.

“I was playing on one leg,” said Sopel, who had surgery in May. “If we hadn’t been in a playoff race, I would have probably shut it down. It was extremely frustrating not to be able to help the team. I’m looking forward to showing how I can play.”

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The Kings play their first exhibition game against the Ducks in Anaheim on Monday. Crawford said he would use “two lines that are NHL players and two lines that are trying to be NHL players.” ... Kopitar returned to full practice Friday after a shoulder injury limited him to non-contact drills Thursday.... Defenseman Richard Petiot will miss training camp because of an injured right knee. He said he would be reexamined at the end of the month.

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chris.foster@latimes.com