The Los Angeles Kings added depth in NHL Free Agency in an effort to make the playoffs. Los Angeles is working through their preseason schedule in preparation for this push for postseason hockey. On Wednesday, the Kings watched in horror as star defender Drew Doughty may have picked up a brutal injury.
Doughty left the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday. He collided with Golden Knights forward Tanner Pearson and went down to the ice. The Kings defenseman needed to be helped off the ice following the collision. He did not put any weight on his leg as he exited the ice. Los Angeles has officially ruled Doughty out for the rest of the game.
Doughty has long been a mainstay for the Kings on the back end. This past season saw the veteran defender return to form as one of the best in the league. The Kings blueliner scored 15 goals and 50 points for Los Angeles in the regular season. In the playoffs, he added two goals and an assist in five games.
Drew Doughty is a major piece for the Kings
Drew Doughty is a decorated defenseman. The Kings star entered the league as the second-overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft. He immediately made the Los Angeles roster out of training camp. And he has more than held his own since his rookie season.
Doughty was an integral part of two Stanley Cup championship teams. In a potentially cruel twist of fate, he won one of those Cups with Tanner Pearson, who he collided with on Wednesday. Pearson played for the Kings from 2012 until 2019. Pearson signed a professional tryout with the Golden Knights before training camp.
Doughty saw a small decrease in offensive production once Los Angeles began missing the playoffs. However, the 34-year-old has contributed massively in the last two seasons. He has recorded back-to-back 50+ point seasons for the first time in his career. And the 15 goals he scored in 2023-24 are the most he's scored in a season since his sophomore campaign in the NHL.
Doughty is entering the sixth year of an eight-year contract extension signed back in 2018. The Kings defender is the highest-paid player on the team, making $11 million per season. He is set to become a free agent in 2027.
The Kings are certainly waiting with bated breath to know more about Doughty's condition. It would certainly be a blow should the veteran rearguard miss extended time. Hopefully, Doughty avoids a significant injury and can make it back on the ice without complications sooner rather than later.
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