The wait was certainly worth it for LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. After 18 seasons in the shadow of others, Doughty got the recognition he rightfully deserved.
The Kings named Doughty the franchise’s 15th captain, a wait that seemed far too long in the making.
Doughty spent 10 seasons under a team legend, playing just as crucial a role as he did. But when Anze Kopitar rode off into the sunset at the end of last season, everyone knew it was time for Doughty to become the team’s next captain.
But the honor, rather than being an acknowledgment of the future, was more a sign of gratitude. That gratitude is something that could become part of the 36-year-old’s farewell.
But do the Kings have any other choice? Would the organization have had the gall to pass him over one more time?
That was not going to happen. Doughty had to get the “C”. And when he did, the long wait would have finally been over. The Kings did the right thing, even if it’s more of a token gesture than anything at this point in the team’s development.
Doughty May Be Getting Ready to Ride Off into the Sunset
The timing of Drew Doughty’s promotion is impossible to ignore.
The 36-year-old defenseman is entering the final season of an eight-year, $88 million contract. He has already said he wants to finish his career in Los Angeles, but he also acknowledged after last season that his performance needed to improve.
That makes this captaincy more of a transition, a placeholder, than an actual commitment to a specific direction.
The Kings aren’t handing the job to a 25-year-old they expect to lead the franchise for the next decade. They’re giving it to a veteran who could potentially be playing the final season of his career.
That doesn’t make the decision meaningless.
Doughty was part of both Stanley Cup championships. He has played every one of his 18 NHL seasons with Los Angeles. He has been one of the defining players in franchise history.
The Kings are giving him something he probably should have had years ago.
But it is difficult to look at the move and view it as a major statement about the organization’s long-term direction.
If Drew Doughty decides to retire after this season, the Kings will simply have given one of their greatest players the captaincy for his farewell tour.
And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes a captaincy is about the future. But other times, it’s about recognizing the past.
Would Drew Doughty Captain the Kings Through a Rebuild?
Things could get really interesting here.
The Kings have made the playoffs five consecutive seasons, but they have been eliminated in the first round each time. Last season, they finished 35-27-20 before getting swept by Colorado.
That isn’t a rebuilding team yet.
But it is a team that needs to prove it still has another level.
Los Angeles hired Peter Laviolette after the season, with the new coach specifically talking about the need to improve the team’s offensive approach. The organization also added several veterans during the offseason, suggesting it still believes there is something worth salvaging from the current roster.
What happens if that doesn’t work?
That’s the question hanging over Drew Doughty’s captaincy.
If the Kings stumble this season, the organization may eventually have to start making uncomfortable decisions about an aging core. And if that leads to a rebuild, does Doughty want to be the captain through it?
He has already won two Stanley Cup in Los Angeles.
Would he really want to spend his final two or three years watching the organization tear things down and start over?
Doughty has made it clear that the Kings mean everything to him. He has also said he wants to finish his career in Los Angeles.
That could mean he stays through whatever comes next. But it could also mean this captaincy is the perfect final chapter.
The Kings are betting that this season can change the conversation. If they finally take a step beyond the first round, perhaps the rebuild can be delayed.
If they don’t, Doughty’s first season as captain could also become the beginning of the end of an era.
Either way, after 18 seasons in the shadows of Brown and Kopitar, Drew Doughty finally gets his chance to lead the Kings.
Now, fans will find out how long that chance lasts.
Drew Doughty Has Waited Long Enough to Be Kings Captain