Handzus helps the Kings jump ahead

With the Kings enjoying a rare week off between games, Coach Marc Crawford did not have his team skate together as a full unit for three days.

Midweek, that changed.

“At the start of the year, we looked at this as a good training block,” Crawford said, noting that the Kings last played on Saturday, losing to San Jose.

For 70-plus minutes Wednesday, Crawford put his team through a grueling practice that ended with a series of skate sprints. It was the type of workout that kills after-practice plans for most players.

Not for veteran center Michal Handzus, who has played a vital role in helping the Kings get to 7-8-0 after a dismal start.

Less than 30 minutes after leaving the ice, Handzus was already out of uniform and into the middle of his own demanding workout. Dressed in a light sweat shirt and shorts, Handzus had track hurdles lined up outside the team’s weight room to assist him on strength and stretching exercises.

“This is a good time to get ready because after this, we will not have the time to do these things,” Handzus said.

“I know that I wasn’t too happy with my play early. I have to get better.”

With that, the 30-year-old Handzus returned to his hurdles.

“But that’s Michal,” captain Rob Blake said of the 6-foot-5, 217-pound native of the Slovak Republic. “He is very intense in what he does.”

Handzus, whose nickname is Zeus, signed a free-agent deal worth a reported $16 million for four years during the off-season. While the deal did not get much notice around the NHL, the Kings were excited to add a veteran known for his professionalism.

“Michal might not be the sexy name, so to speak,” General Manager Dean Lombardi said at the time of the signing. “People who know hockey really appreciate this guy. He’s a pro’s pro.”

Handzus’ numbers (one goal and two assists) haven’t been special, but then that is not what makes him special.

“Michal has taken pride his whole career of being that big centerman that you can lean on for draws in the last minute of games and the last minute of periods,” Blake said. “He has made a career out of being a great penalty killer. He . . . brings that whole attitude here.

“That’s a big part of building a team. He might not be the guy with 30 goals, but he fills that role that allows you to win.”

In his nine-year career, Handzus has played for Chicago, St. Louis, Phoenix and Philadelphia. His best season was in 2003-04 with the Flyers, when he had 20 goals and 38 assists.

Handzus was less than 100% when the season began because he was coming back from a torn knee ligament that limited him to eight games last season. But his play has stepped up recently.

Crawford said it’s all part of the adjustment period.

“For all of these guys coming from other organizations, it takes a while for them to feel comfortable,” Crawford said. “The second factor is that it takes a while for a coaching staff to realize everything that a player does. The more that we as a staff get a chance to see our new players, the more comfortable that we get with them.”

Handzus can see how the Kings are jelling.

“As a team we had a bad start, but I think that we’ve come together a little bit right now,” he said. “There are signs that we have a very good team. We are ready to take the next step.

“We have guys who played last year, who are playing great right now. . . . Once we get the other guys going -- like me -- we are going to be very good.”

lonnie.white@latimes.com