5 storylines to watch as MLS training camps open

MLS teams across the continent kick off their respective preseason training camps this week in preparation for March 6, the start of the 2016 Major League Soccer season.

There have been plenty of signings and trades and yet another SuperDraft, bolstering rosters as managers and coaches tinker to find a winning formula.

Here are five storylines to watch in the MLS preseason:

Is Montreal star Didier Drogba really back?

Didier Drogba is back!

Well, kind of.

After a drawn-out will-he, won't-he saga involving Drogba's former club Chelsea, the Ivorian striker finally announced he won't be retiring and joining Guus Hiddink's coaching staff. Instead, he'll be heading to preseason camp with the Montreal Impact ... eventually.

Drogba announced he'll be working on his fitness alone in Qatar instead of joining his teammates. Impact owner Joey Saputo is expecting Drogba to continue to act like a pro and see out the remainder of his contract through the 2016 season. Thus, Drogba is set to return on Feb. 15 - for now.

How will D.C. United cope without Bill Hamid?

Good news, bad news.

The good news is that D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid has finally taken care of a knee issue that bothered him throughout the 2015 season, undergoing surgery in the offseason to fix a torn lateral meniscus.

The bad news? Hamid will be out of commission for four-to-six months.

Hamid is D.C. United's longest-tenured player and a key figure in the locker room; how backup goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra fills in for Hamid might just make or break this team's season.

Has Toronto FC finally found its defensive core?

It looks like Toronto FC has "won" the offseason once again, picking up four veteran MLS starters from various trades and free-agent picks to bolster its defensive ranks: the Colorado Rapids lost starting goalkeeper Clint Irwin and club captain Drew Moor to Toronto, while the Reds also snatched up Canadian international Will Johnson and former Vancouver Whitecaps right full-back Steven Beitashour.

Even one of these acquisitions helps plug Toronto's leaky backline, which conceded a league-worst 58 goals last year. With these four players, Toronto has exponentially improved on paper; will that translate on the field?

Can Jordan Morris start right away for Seattle?

(Courtesy: @SoundersFC)

College stud Jordan Morris has finally gone pro, joining the Seattle Sounders ahead of the start of preseason on a record Homegrown Player contract. But Morris isn't stepping into a team in desperate need of attacking options, since Sounders coach Sigi Schmid already has arguably the most effective striker duo in the league, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins.

Will Morris see a starting role in his first season as a professional? If so, Schmid will need to either drop one of the aforementioned duo or switch to a 4-3-3. Watch how Schmid lines up his Seattle team in preseason matches; it could just indicate his plans for Morris in 2016.

Will Kei Kamara return to the Crew for 2016?

At the end of the 2015 season, Columbus Crew forward Kei Kamara said he had considered retiring if his team won the MLS Cup. A loss to the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup final prevented that decision from coming to fruition.

However, there are reports that contract negotiations have soured between the two parties. While it looks as though Kamara will at least be with the team for training camp, he's not there right now - head coach Gregg Berhalter explained that Kamara has been given a few days off to be with family.

The plot thickens.