Right now, Talbot and Copley are penciled in for the NHL squad and Rittich is likely to go down to Ontario, but that could change by Oct. 11.
Just six days away from their opening night matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, it's time to look at the five biggest questions for the Los Angeles Kings heading into this season.
Who Plays on the Third Pair?
The Kings came into camp with very few positions up for grabs, meaning there weren't many roster battles to keep an eye on.
However, the fight between Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke and the fight between Andreas Englund and Tobias Bjornfot have both been interesting to watch.
Spence and Clarke was the battle most people were eager to see coming into camp. Two highly talented puck movers who can quarterback the Kings' second power-play unit, it's difficult to pick one over the other.
Clarke has the higher ceiling and is capable of making high-end plays that very few can replicate. While Spence is the more experienced and more well-rounded player of the two.
Both have put together strong performances in camp and are pushing each other to the wire. It's going to be a difficult decision for Todd McLellan and his staff and one that likely won't come until very close to opening night.
McLellan also pointed out that who starts in game one might not start in game two. Both are waiver-exempt and can move between the NHL and AHL with ease, meaning we might see them split time early on.
On the other side, Englund and Bjornfot provide different ingredients for McLellan. Bjornfot is a two-way defender who can defend the rush and skate himself out of trouble with his high-end skating.
Englund on the other hand is a more physical defender who isn't afraid to drop the gloves and defend his teammates.
Englund is coming off a strong game against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday but also struggled in both games against the Arizona Coyotes in Australia. While Bjornfot's been fine he hasn't blown anyone away in his preseason appearances.
I would lean toward Bjornfot right now, but Englund's ability to bring a physical element the team lacks might give him an edge.
The coaching staff isn't close to a decision with either position according to McLellan.
"It's still very much a 50/50," said McLellan when asked if any one pair is favored right now. "We're going to need six or seven defensemen on the roster and whatever combination we come up with, that might not be the same combination we have in game two. There will be some flexibility for up and down, which won't be a bad thing for some players. But we aren't at that point of deciding yet."
Can the Kings Get Quality Goaltending?
The perceived biggest weakness for this Kings team heading into this season is in net and it's easy to see why.
Their goaltending room consists of a 36-year-old Cam Talbot coming off a down year, a 31-year-old with just 68 NHL games under his belt in Pheonix Copley and a career backup in David Rittich.
On paper, there isn't a lot to love with this goaltending group.
However, with all of that said, there's also some reason for optimism. At their best, the Kings play a sound defensive game which limits the high-danger chances their goalies face.
They don't need elite goaltending from anyone, they just need them to be good. They can also run a goalie tandem all season and don't have to rely on one goalie playing 60-plus games.
In a perfect world, someone separates themselves from the pack and takes a starting position, but McLellan would be comfortable splitting the games 41/41 between two goalies.
Right now, Talbot and Copley are penciled in for the NHL squad and Rittich is likely to go down to Ontario, but that could change by Oct. 11.
The goalies who started last season with the Kings couldn't get it done and they'll be hoping to avoid that same situation this season.
Will Kevin Fiala & Pierre-Luc Dubois Develop Chemistry?
I think it would be overexaggerating to say that the Kings need these two to find chemistry together, but boy would it help them this season.
The early signs have been good, especially their performance against the Ducks on Tuesday, but the real test will come on opening night for them.
If they can click, they can create one of the most dominant middle-six lines in the NHL and win games for the Kings.
If they can't, McLellan will have his three highest-paid forwards — Dubois, Fiala and Anze Kopitar — on three different lines. This isn't the end of the world and depth is a good thing, but at some point, you'd like to see Fiala fit with one of the team's other stars.
The third member of that line will also play a big role, we still have to see if Arthur Kaliyev can stick there, but Fiala and Dubois are the ones to really keep an eye on.
Can Quinton Byfield & Arthur Kaliyev Take the Next Step?
Speaking of Kaliyev, he and Quinton Byfield taking the next step will play a major role in the success of the Kings this season.
Byfield comes into the season penciled onto the top line and has to add production to his game. While Kaliyev needs to prove he can keep up with elite players like Fiala and Dubois.
Neither of them needs to ascend to stardom this season, but both need to show that they're ready to take on a big role for this team.
If Kaliyev can stick on his current line, he should be targeting a minimum of 20 goals this season, potentially even 30 depending on his power-play usage.
Byfield, now fully healthy, has to be targeting the 50-point mark and needs to add more goals to his game.
He doesn't need to be a 30-goal guy, but he needs to find his way into the mid-teens at minimum.
Both are looking at the biggest opportunity of their NHL careers so far and neither can afford to let it slip away.