Legendary Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who is the team captain, has had his future revealed with the club going forward.
Doughty is in the final season of his eight-year, $88 million contract with the Kings, which pays him $11 million this season.
While he is no longer the Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman that he was in his prime, he is still a valued member of the Kings, and the team hopes to keep him on their roster going forward.
Kings Won’t Trade Drew Doughty
According to Kings GM Steve Yzerman, who spoke to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, the Kings are not trading Doughty, though Yzerman revealed that he hasn’t spoken to Doughty about a contract extension yet.
“#GoKingsGo GM Ken Holland tells us on @SiriusXMNHL that contract talks w/ Drew Doughty haven’t started yet, but he told Drew: ‘I’m not trading ya.’ We’re going to find an extension at the appropriate time. In my mind, there’s no doubt he’ll be back with (the Kings) next year.'”
Also: Holland confirmed Turcotte returns to the lineup tonight for LA. Fiala & Zuccarello inching closer to their returns.
“Holland & Doughty spoke in the summer about his future. He wants to play, Kings want to keep it going too. They’ll figure this out when the time comes.”
Drew Doughty Is a Kings Legend
Doughty was originally drafted with the second overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Kings, and he has spent his entire career with Los Angeles, winning two Stanley Cups with the franchise and a Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2015-16.
At age 36, Doughty is clearly on the downside of his career, but he is still a solid defender for the Kings and someone who provides invaluable leadership as the team’s captain.
This season, Doughty has skated in 13 games for the Kings with 1 goal and 8 points. At this point in his career, his job is not really to put up big point totals, so anything he adds on the scoresheet is a bonus.
Doughty said that he hopes to re-sign with the Kings, and based on Yzerman’s comments about him, it seems like there is certainly mutual interest between the team and the player to make that happen.
Drew Doughty’s Future With Kings Revealed