The Los Angeles Kings marched through to their second Stanley Cup championship in just the last three years with a well-balanced team that seemed to have all the right pieces in play in 2013-14. From their relentlessly stingy, yet offensive, defense to the ability of their forwards to put up big time playoff numbers, the Kings were absolutely unstoppable down the stretch of the playoffs. Don’t expect 2014-15 to be any different for hockey’s current royalty, as we may be in for a back-to-back champion for the first time since the Detroit Red Wigs did it during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Here’s a look at the Kings roster heading into the 2014-15 NHL season.

Offense: It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This

The Kings realized they needed to head into the upcoming season with their motto being, “Why fix something that isn’t broken?” The Kings’ offense was pretty much untouched, and for good reason. The signing of Marian Gaborik was an absolute no brainer, as a full season in a Kings uniform should see him score 25+ goals and perhaps even tally a total of 55+ points. If Mike Richards is able to have a bounce-back year, which we fully expect him to do so, the overall offense of this team goes from flat out scary to absolutely terrifying for opponents. The sky is the limit for the men up front for the Kings. With names such as Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Justin Williams hanging around, there’s no reason to believe this offense won’t be running on high octane all season long. Consider them a top 3 offense in the entire league, at the very least.

Defense: They Can Do It All

The old cliché of, “Defense wins championships”, couldn’t have been closer to the truth for the Kings in 2013-14. Led by perhaps the best overall player in the NHL, Drew Doughty, the Kings’ D men have the ability to make things go from bad to worse for their opponents on any given evening. Last season L.A. led the entire NHL by only giving up a stingy average of 2.05 goals per game along with a miniscule 26.2 shots per game, good enough for second best in the league only behind the New Jersey Devils. What also makes this part of the Kings’ game so special is at the defense can produce at the offensive end of the ice as well as back in their own zone. Players such as Doughty and Slava Voynov ranked amongst the team’s best in overall points, and we should see much of the same come the beginning of October.

Goaltending: How ‘Quick’ Can He Get To Three?

Not many goaltenders can say that they have or even had a chance to win a third Stanley Cup before their thirtieth birthday. However, in the case of Jonathan Quick, he may very well have a third championship ring as a 29-year old come this spring. Quick is absolutely everything a team wants and expects from a number one goaltender. He started in 49 games in 2013-14, allowing the players in front of him to be confident in playing an aggressive style more often than not, because they have the upmost confidence in him as their go-to guy between the pipes. His 2.07 goals against average along with his .917 save percentage are two numbers that keep him towards the top of his class. When Quick needs a rest, in comes Vancouver native, and no slouch as well, Martin Jones. A more than reliable backup, Jones went 12-6-0-4 while only letting in 33 goals on the 500 shots he faced. Just like the rest of their team, the Kings are set up nicely in goal.

Special Teams: What Don’t They Have?

With the star-studded roster that they do have, it’s hard to imagine how the Kings’ powerplay struggled so much last season. They were only able to convert with the man-advantage 15.1% of the time. Now that Gaborik will have a full season with his new hockey club, expect this number to change for the better. Of course, the Kings have a top ten penalty kill that was able to hold off their opponents when they were a man down, successfully killing penalties 83.1% of the time, good enough for eleventh best in the NHL. Expect Doughty to once again lead the way in this department, as he has the ability to hold down the fort whether a man down or at even strength.

Overall Outlook: Expect More Big Things To Come

It’s hard to imagine the Kings not being in the running to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2014-15. They pretty much have the exact same roster as they did only a few months ago when they were hoisting Lord Stanley’s mug for the second time in three seasons. They may not have the overall consistency in the regular season as a team such as the St. Louis Blues or Chicago Blackhawks, but come playoff time, nobody will want to face them. Expect a top five finish in the Western Conference standings and an inevitable deep run in the playoffs to follow. This team has all the makings to be repeat as champions.