ROBINSON GLAD FOR FRESH START : KINGS LIKE NEW CHEMISTRY.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

It took some time, but the skin stopped peeling off his hands and the lines that formed so deeply into his face in the late stages of the season are gone.

Kings coach Larry Robinson finally let go. It took three weeks, a trip to Palm Springs and a spectacular view overlooking the man-made lake at the hotel he and his wife were staying for him to relax.

``All of a sudden it hit me. The season was over. It was like somebody put a pin in a balloon and let the air out,'' Robinson said. ``It was hard. I can't say I really had a chance to enjoy the position I was in. It was one incident after another.''

Until then, his trying first season as head coach of the Kings continued to trouble him. It wasn't one event that caused the nervous condition that left his hands raw and made him age so. It was the combination of the Wayne Gretzky turmoil, season-ending injuries to Rob Blake and Tony Granato, numerous injuries to other key players and the difficulty he had convincing set-in-their-ways veterans to play his four-line system.

``I think I went through everything a coach can in one year,'' Robinson said.

Maybe that's why he was so excited at starting training camp for 1996-97. It can't be anywhere near as bad as last season, when the Gretzky controversy, injuries and general lack of talent caused the Kings to finish 16 games below .500 and out of the playoffs for the third straight year after reaching the 1993 Stanley Cup finals.

The roster overhaul that started with the trade of Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues last season continued in the off-season. Goalie Kelly Hrudey and forward Tony Granato signed with the San Jose Sharks as free agents, center Kevin Todd joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent, left wing Eric Lacroix was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for goalie Stephane Fiset, and forwards Robert Lang and Gary Shuchuk were not re-signed.

The result is a locker room full of new faces. The Kings opened training camp Sunday at the Iceoplex in North Hills with only eight players who were on the roster at the beginning of the 1995-96 season. Only Blake was regularly with the Kings before that season.

The injury-plagued defenseman, in fact, is the only player close to being considered an All-Star, and the forwards appear to be a collection of other team's third-liners.

But the Kings front office, and Robinson, remain optimistic. They believe the team has more depth and better character.

``To say we have no offense is wrong,'' general manager Sam McMaster said. ``We have eight or nine guys who can score 30 goals. . . . We'll be tough to beat.''

At least enthusiasm isn't in short supply. Twenty-one younger players volunteered for a three-week camp in Canada's Thunder Bay and about 30 went through informal workouts at the Iceoplex the week before camp opened.

``Everybody came in in shape,'' said Ray Ferraro, who will be counted on to be the first-line center. ``It doesn't look like anybody took the summer off.

``I like that (management) didn't stand pat. They added guys who can skate and a highly regarded goaltender. And most importantly, some guys who didn't want to be here, aren't here.''

The recent lack of success hasn't made them set their goals any lower. Robinson said, ``Anything less than making the playoffs will be a failure.''

For the Kings to climb out of the depths of the Western Conference, several developments must occur:

Keep Blake healthy: No simple task, considering Blake, easily the team's most talented player, has missed 100 games the past two seasons because of injuries.

The Kings need him to man the point on power plays, match up against the opponent's top forward and be the leader on and off the ice.

His surgically repaired left knee is well enough for him to play for Canada in the World Cup, at least until a groin injury sidelined him.

Kevin Stevens must return to form: No one's expecting him to score 50 goals, which he did in consecutive seasons in Pittsburgh, but he must stay injury-free and get back to the physical style that made him an NHL All-Star.

He had three goals and 13 points in 20 games for the Kings after coming over from the Boston Bruins in a mid-season trade before missing 11 games because of back stiffness and a broken bone in his left leg. When he was healthy, he spent more time floating on the perimeter than bulling his way to the net.

``For myself, I have to prove that (last year) was just a fluke,'' Stevens said.

Olczyk, Klima have good seasons: They are the team's major off-season skating additions and each veteran will be given more responsibility than they've had recently.

Ed Olczyk, who could wind up on the wing instead of center, had 27 goals and 49 points in 51 games for the Winnipeg Jets while left wing Petr Klima had 22 goals and 52 points in 67 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

``We added 60 goals by getting them,'' the ever-optimistic McMaster said.

Roman Vopat is ready for the NHL: The 20-year-old center is considered by the Kings as the prize in the Gretzky deal with St. Louis in February even though he spent most of his time in the World Hockey League.

At 6-foot-3, 216 pounds, he could fill the Kings' need for a big, skilled center and allow Robinson to move Olczyk to cover a weakness at wing. The knock on Vopat is that he hasn't learned to play hard every night. He got off to an impressive start, scoring the first goal of training camp Sunday.

Develop right wingers: Vitali Yachmenev, who had 19 goals as a rookie, is the only experienced player at this position.

Robinson will give Yanic Perreault, primarily a center last season, a chance here and Jeff Shevalier, who spent last season playing for minor-league affiliate Phoenix (29 goals, 67 points, 79 games), a long look in training camp.

Vopat's development could cause a shuffling among the forwards. The Kings have depth on the left side with Stevens, Klima, Craig Johnson, Vladimir Tsyplakov, Nathan LaFayette and Barry Potomski.

Fiset becomes No. 1 goalie and a reliable backup is found: When the trade was announced, the Kings proclaimed Fiset their top goalie, but now Robinson is saying no job is decided.

If it's not Fiset, it will be because he's not as good as expected rather than Jamie Storr or Byron Dafoe beating him out. Robinson likes to keep his players as fresh as possible because of the strenuous travel and long season, so it's imperative that either the 20-year-old Storr or the inconsistent Dafoe develops into a steady No. 2.

An enforcer is found: Marty McSorley's trade to the New York Rangers in March left the Kings with no proven enforcer. Potomski showed a willingess to fill the role after being brought up from Phoenix last season but isn't intimidating enough to strike fear into opponents with his mere presence.

At 6-5, 230 pounds, right wing Matt Johnson is, but it remains to be seen if the 1994 second-round draft choice has improved his skating skills enough to satisfy Robinson.

SCOUTING THE KINGS

Forwards: There isn't a top-flight goal scorer in the bunch, but the Kings hope a handful of 25- to-30-goal scorers will give them a potent offense. Most dangerous threats are Kevin Stevens, Petr Klima, Ray Ferraro, Vitali Yachmenev, Ed Olczyk, Dimitri Khristich and Yanic Perreault. It's hardly a lock this group will score. If Stevens can rebound from the worst season of his nine-year career, if Klima and Olczyk can handle increased responsibilities after being role players last season, if Yachmenev can avoid a sophomore jinx, if Ferraro flourishes centering the top line, if Khristich makes the adjustment to center, if Perreault proves strong enough to handle the switch to wing, then they might be OK. Also, if 20-year-old Roman Vopat can develop into a dependable NHL center, it will free Olczyk to fill a hole at wing. Jeff Shevalier will be given a chance to win a spot at right wing, Craig Johnson and Vladimir Tsyplakov are left-wing candidates while Ian Laperriere and Patrice Tardif will battle to be the fourth-line center.

Defensemen: This is easily the most improved unit on the team. For proof, look at Sean O'Donnell. He was a regular in the lineup last season, when he played in 71 games, missed eight with an injury and was a healthy scratch three times. This year, he'll be lucky to win a roster spot. The makings of a tough, mobile defense is in the works, if the players stay healthy and fulfill their potential. Rob Blake is the best player on the team and Mattias Norstrom, who came over in the deal that sent Jari Kurri and Marty McSorley to the New York Rangers, looks like a steal. Potential defensive pairings are Blake with 19-year-old Aki Berg, who had a solid but unspectacular rookie season; Norstrom and Doug Zmolek; John Slaney and Steven Finn; and Philippe Boucher and Jaroslav Modry. Jan Vopat, Roman's brother, and O'Donnell will be fighting for roster spots.

Goalies: Coach Larry Robinson said the competition is wide open. The reality is that it's Stephane Fiset's job to lose. The 26-year-old Fiset should blossom as a No. 1 goalie. He was 22-6-7 with a goals-against average of 2.93 in 37 games for the Colorado Avalanche, where he was displaced by future Hall of Famer Patrick Roy as the top goalie. If the defense develops as expected, Fiset might not have to face the onslaught of shots Kelly Hrudey (now with San Jose) did during his tenure with the Kings. Jamie Storr, the 1994 first-round draft choice, and Byron Dafoe, whose spectacular play early earned him the moniker ``Lord Byron'' last season, are also competing for the job. Odd man out will get sent to Phoenix.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos,

PHOTO (1) BLAKE

(2) STEVENS

Box: SCOUTING THE KINGS (se e text)