Kings Too Early Second Pair Preview

Moving on through the Los Angeles Kings' lineup for a too early preview of how they'll look, today it's on to the second pair.

The second pair is a little up in the air, however, we know who the left-side defenseman will be.

Vladislav Gavrikov will play a big role in the Kings' top four again this season and it's just a question of who his partner is.

Gavrikov has established himself as a solid two-way defender for the Kings.

He's a big body who uses his length well to kill plays defensively with the feet to get up the ice and provide some secondary offense.

Gavrikov has struggled whenever he's been asked to move up onto the top pair, but he's been very solid in a second pair role.

Who plays next to Gavrikov is going to be a battle between Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence.

My initial assumption is that Spence will win that position battle out of camp.

He's got more experience and deserves his shot on that second pair. It will likely be his spot to lose and I doubt he losses it.

The Kings have also been reluctant to throw Clarke into a significant role early in his career.

He'll have to prove he can defend in the NHL before he gets a look in the top six.

Gavrikov-Spence is a very solid pair though. They're both very solid two-way defensemen who complement each other well.

Gavrikov leans a little more defensive on the two way scale with ideal NHL size while Spence leans a little more on the offensive side and is undersized.

The pair will almost certainly take a hit with the loss of Matt Roy, however, Spence should ease that loss quite a bit.

He's a fantastic defensemen and was one of LA's best blue liners in the playoffs last season.

The Kings will lose some defensive solidity and physicality on the second pair but Spence's offense should help offset that.

The Kings still don't create enough from the backend and giving Spence a more significant role could help that issue.

The second pair will be different, and might take a small step back, but Spence having a more significant role should excite fans.