“We’re going to develop our own 50-goal scorer,” head coach Terry Murray said, when asked where the offense would come from.

No one has scored 50 goals in a Kings uniform since Luc

AROUND THE PACIFIC

Robitaille’s 63-goal campaign in 1992-93. But it’s the preseason, everyone gets to be ambitious, and a Los Angeles squad coming off a 101-point season is not lacking for ambition. Kovalchuk wound up in New Jersey, but the mandate in L.A. hasn’t changed.

This year, that ambition will start on offense.

“We’re looking more at pushing the offensive side of the game,” Murray said. — We’ve got talented players. We’re going to push that part of the game throughout the training camp, and keep encouraging creativity and making plays at the net.”

The Kings ranked ninth in the NHL in goals scored last year (2.82 per game), but Murray pointed to even-strength play as cause for concern. Only 145 of their goals came 5-on-5, which ranked 19th in the league.

After losing out on Kovalchuk – twice – Lombardi turned his attention elsewhere in free agency. Alexei Ponikarovsky, who has scored at least 20 goals in four of the last five seasons, steps in to the left-wing position vacated by Alexander Frolov, who has scored at least 20 goals in four of the last five seasons. Not exactly an instant-offense upgrade.

Neither is defenseman Willie Mitchell, a steady player in his own zone who won’t be expected to rack up points on a blue line featuring Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson.

With the luxury of a similar returning cast, Murray had ample time to contemplate a solution to the Kings’ scoring woes. Weeks before camp began, he contacted U.S. Olympian and team captain Dustin Brown with an idea.

When the players hit the ice Saturday, Brown was skating on a new-look top line with Ryan Smyth and center Anze Kopitar. Though Smyth and Kopitar were linemates most of last season, Brown and Kopitar were last paired together by Marc Crawford in 2006-07 – what seems like a lifetime ago. The two team leaders have side-by-side lockers at Staples Center but have been mostly kept apart on the ice.

Murray said the arrangement is designed to coax a “power forward mentality” out of Brown. That means the 25-year-old right wing, who set career highs with 33 goals and 60 points in 2007-08, must re-train his instincts somewhat.

“I have the size, the speed and the skill to take it to the net. It’s just a matter of consistently doing it,” Brown said.

“(Kopitar) has the ability to make those plays to me wide with foot speed, and that’s not an easy thing to do up the middle,” he continued. “If he can get me the puck with speed up the middle, he can just hit me and I don’t have to worry about slowing him down or trying to catch a bad pass. With Kopi it’s on your tape, and I can just get that extra step and maybe a little extra time to get to the net wide.”

While the top line will be the focal point, Murray also singled out veteran center Jarret Stoll, who will start the season as the Kings’ second-line center – a position some observers thought would go to 19-year-old Brayden Schenn or 21-year-old Oscar Moller. Stoll set career highs with 22 goals, 46 assists and 68 points for Edmonton in 2005-06 but dipped to 16-31-47 last season.

So who will pot the 50 goals?

“I hope it comes from different places,” Murray said. “I know Kopi’s an incredibly talented player. I would like to see more offensive production on the goal side form him in particular, and that line should develop good chemistry.”

Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle is shifting Bobby Ryan to center to start training camp. Ryan signed a five-year, $25.5 million contract Tuesday. … Anaheim D Toni Lydman is on the mend after suffering an acute episode of double vision. … Martin Hanzal, Vernon Fiddler and newcomer Eric Belanger appear to be locks for the Phoenix Coyotes’ top three center positions. Kyle Wellwood is in Glendale on a pro tryout contract hoping to center the fourth line. … Softening the league's stance on a tenuous issue, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in an e-mail to the Arizona Republic that there are “no deadlines for anything at this point in time” regarding the potential sale of the Coyotes franchise. The Winnipeg Free Press reported that Commissioner Gary Bettman would accept an existing offer from a purchaser aiming to move the team if a lease agreement with a local owner can’t be found. ... Dallas C Brad Richards donated $500,000 to a hospital in his native Prince Edward Island.  ... San Jose D Niclas Wallin hasn't been able to skate at full speed yet as he recovers from a post-operative infection in his left ankle. Longtime Detroit Red Wings D Andreas Lilja is in camp on a pro tryout contract.

All photos courtesy Getty Images