Kings’ Marco Sturm is ready to play but Scott Parse is hurting

The revolving door at left wing on the Kings’ top line took two more turns Tuesday.

The first turn occurred when Marco Sturm practiced with Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds and was pronounced ready to return Wednesday from a 13-game absence caused by tendinitis.

It continued whirling when Coach Terry Murray said that Scott Parse, the Kings’ initial choice to fill that spot before requiring hip surgery in November, had a setback and was advised to stop working out.

After practice Tuesday Sturm said the knee is stronger than when he made his Kings debut in December. Sturm, acquired from Boston for a conditional draft pick, had four goals and eight points in 15 games on various lines before he was ordered to rest. He said the knee feels strong enough for him to play against the Ducks Wednesday at Anaheim.

“A lot stronger than when I got here, definitely,” he said. “Now I know I was much weaker than I thought but you only find out by playing games and doing a lot of stuff. Doing squats now and when I did them a couple months ago, it’s a huge difference. Hopefully it’s going to be good enough.”

Murray said he began to see some zip in Sturm’s stride last week, while the Kings were in New York to face the Rangers and the Islanders. “I think it’s just time,” Murray said. “He’s been working hard. There’s been a lot of competitive drills he’s been put into. I think he’s through that threshold emotionally where you have to decide you’re going to be a player, and a good player. We’re seeing in those drills more battle, more compete.[cq]”

However, Parse’s return, originally projected for three to four months after the surgery, might be delayed. He had been skating but was told to ease up for a couple of weeks after his hip reacted badly.

“He needs to back off,” Murray said. “He was very aggressive when he came back to get going again and he was having a little bit of an issue with some soreness. And so the direction to him right now was back off on the intensity of his workouts. Let it settle down and get back at it again.”

Murray said Parse saw a doctor Monday and was told his discomfort was a result of overuse. The timetable for his return will likely be delayed, though Murray said he’s not sure by how much.

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Murray broke up his steadiest line—Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams—after saying the trio had sagged. Smyth and Stoll will skate alongside Dustin Brown, and Williams will play alongside Brad Richardson and Michal Handzus. Fourth-line candidates are Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Alexei Ponikarovsky and Kevin Westgarth.

Murray said the Stoll line “was below average throughout the road trip. There were just too many minuses. The chemistry was not there throughout the road trip, I felt, and they were really pushing it, really forcing a lot of play on the offensive side of the game, and as a result of it a lot of stuff was coming back at us on odd-man rushes….

“They’re still important lines, important players. They’re going to get a lot of situations, a lot of ice time. To me it’s not a huge change but it just wasn’t clicking for me.”

Stoll said he anticipates no more than a slight difference. “Brownie’s got skill, so does Willie. Brownie likes to shoot the puck and so does Willie,” Stoll said. “Maybe a little more physical. We’ve just got to score.”

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Murray made a change on defense, taking Alec Martinez out of the lineup and replacing him with Davis Drewiske, who will be paired with Matt Greene.

“The last couple of games, maybe even going back a little bit further, we do feel that Marty is just playing a little bit too light. Not assertive enough,” Murray said, adding that the rookie had “backed off” his strong attitude in the defensive zone.

“Right now with what we’re seeing it’s time to step back and give [Drewiske] who’s been working very hard an opportunity to get back in there.”

Martinez said after practice he hadn’t been told of the lineup change. “I got nothing for you,” he said.

Drewiske, a healthy scratch since his last game on Jan. 6, said he has tried to stay positive. “Take it one day at a time and be ready when the time comes, whenever you’re needed,” he said.

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Ray Emery moved a step closer toward returning to the NHL with the Ducks, who are desperate for experienced goaltending while Jonas Hiller copes with a lingering case of lightheadedness.

Emery, who signed a two-way contract with the Ducks on Feb. 7 and was assigned to Syracuse of the American Hockey League, stopped 34 of 37 shots in regulation and overtime and three of four shootout attempts Tuesday as Syracuse defeated Charlotte, 4-3. It was the third straight start for Emery, who is 2-1-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in three games.

It’s unlikely he’d start Wednesday against the Kings but it wouldn’t be a shocker if he’s recalled to back up Curtis McElhinney instead of not-ready-for-prime-time Timo Pielmeier.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

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