Liam Greentree will play for the LA Kings in the warm-up game against Utah

The Los Angeles Kings will play their first preseason game of the year tonight when they travel to Utah Hockey Club. In these early preseason games, the Kings do not field their entire roster and have reportedly decided to use a younger group of players for this game.

According to Zach Dooley, that group includes Liam Greentree, the first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The top draft pick's time with the Kings will be limited this season as he is expected to return to the OHL, so it makes sense for the coaching staff to get him as much ice time as possible.

Greentree participated in the Rooke Faceoff earlier this month and scored a goal and an assist in the three tournament games. He will be joined by fellow draft pick from the most recent draft class: goalie Carter George, who was drafted in the Kings' second round.

However, it would not be a surprise if Erik Portillo was the goalie starting in tonight's preseason game. He recently signed a three-year contract in the offseason and could be the goalie of the future after likely spending this season with the Ontario Reign.

However, this group will include many players who should factor into the Kings' plans for the upcoming season, including players like Akil Thomas and Alex Turcotte in the forward positions and Joel Edmundson and Brandt Clarke in the defense.

The Kings didn't make any dramatic changes during the offseason and are now bringing in a group of younger players who can take the next step and help them improve from last season. Tonight's game against the Utah Hockey Club starts at 7 p.m. PT and can be watched on the NHL Network.