Young Players Will Get Chances

The Kings will be playing to their strengths this season, hoping that there is some strength to be found.

“We think we have an asset in our depth at forward,” first-year Coach Marc Crawford said. “We have a balanced group and we can keep people fresh.”

That indicates the Kings will try to line shuffle like Buffalo. The Sabres rolled four lines, getting production from all, and came within a victory of the Stanley Cup finals last season.

Installing that model with the Kings lacks a few ingredients -- like a Daniel Briere -- and shoves the team’s younger players in key roles. Michael Cammalleri and Dustin Brown have one full season behind them, and Anze Kopitar and Patrick O’Sullivan will be making their NHL debuts.

Cammalleri, 25, scored a team-high 26 goals last season. Brown, 21, scored 14 in an inconsistent season. O’Sullivan, 21, scored 47 goals, third-most in the American Hockey League last season. Kopitar, 19, showed no signs in training camp of jet lag after making a cross-ocean jump from the Swedish elite league.

Add to that mix 24-year-old Alexander Frolov, and the Kings seem to have a lot riding on guys who were barely out of training pants when Rob Blake broke into the NHL. Basically, the Kings are hoping the kids are all right.

“If the young guys are getting the ice time, they have to be successful for us to win,” center Craig Conroy said. “They are being given the opportunity and they got to do it. In this system, that’s just the way it is, whether you’re 30, 20 or 25. We need contributions from everyone.”

Conroy, Crawford said, is a key component in the youth-must-be-served direction the Kings have taken.

“He’s been around a long time and has been an effective offensive player, and a former Selke Trophy nominee,” Crawford said.

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The Kings’ power play was an abomination last season. Only the Chicago Blackhawks were worse with a man-advantage.

Still, even that looked better than how the Kings looked killing penalties -- they ranked last in the league.

“Having Rob Blake will help both,” Crawford said of the power play and penalty killing.

As for the penalty killing units, Crawford said, “That’s why Alyn McCauley, Brian Willsie and Scott Thornton are here. I do think you’ll see an improvement.”

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The payroll for the Kings’ regular-season roster is $38,560,500, leaving ample room under the $44-million salary cap. Only four of the 24 players are signed beyond the 2007-08 season.

chris.foster@latimes.com