December 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\nRegarding Doughty and Foegele, it\u2019s good to see both players approaching a return. They\u2019ve been missed. They\u2019re not an end all, be all solution, but they\u2019ve definitely been missed. There is optimism from Jim Hiller surrounding their availability for tomorrow\u2019s game potentially, but expecting both players to be back for sure by Saturday at the latest.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hopeful for tomorrow and, if not then, I would expect by Saturday,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cThat\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve had a full practice with the team, so they got to go through that process. We\u2019re hopeful.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Foegele, today marked Day 2 back with the full group, after he skated in a non-contact jersey during yesterday\u2019s optional morning skate. Foegele jumped right back into the line rushes, skating more or less in Danault\u2019s spot, with Alex Laferriere moving to the middle and Foegele going on the left with Laferriere and Andrei Kuzmenko.<\/p>\n
In speaking with Foegele himself today, he said he is \u201choping to play tomorrow\u201d. He hasn\u2019t really been out all that long, missing only the last three games with an upper-body injury. He\u2019s close and feels that he is ready to go if he\u2019s cleared to play against the Blackhawks. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really nice to be out there with the guys,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re sitting out, it\u2019s not fun, but you just miss being around the guys. It was a lot of fun being out there today and it felt really good\u2026\u2026I feel good right now and hoping to have a good performance [when I get back in].\u201d<\/p>\n
His spot today was an interesting spot. He and Laferriere have always gelled well together. They\u2019re two of the team\u2019s more direct players, who are both capable of playing that North\/South style. I thought Laferriere was one of the team\u2019s only players really playing that way last night against Washington. He was direct and got pucks to the net. However, with Danault\u2019s status unknown for tomorrow, unsure how that could potentially impact Foegele\u2019s placement in the lineup.<\/p>\n
Regardless of where he slots in, Foegele is hoping to bring that direct style of hockey when he returns. The best version of Foegele is a very direct player, someone who skates, gets pucks to the net, recovers them and plays with tenacity. That\u2019s the goal and that\u2019s what he can bring to the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think being direct, we saw it last year, when we were really rolling, it\u2019s kind of everyone just playing direct, fast, quick shifts, playing on our toes,\u201d he said. \u201cI think when we\u2019re moving our feet, especially for myself, the team looks a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Doughty, he came back right away in a full-contact capacity. He\u2019s missed just shy of three weeks now with a lower-body injury, which came off a blocked shot in Ottawa. <\/p>\n
The Kings had won five of six games leading into Doughty\u2019s injury and have posted a 2-2-3 mark in the seven games Doughty has missed. Like I said earlier, those numbers aren\u2019t just Doughty specific, but certainly plays a part in it. Doughty is a much needed puck mover on the Kings blueline that has remained defensively sound, allowing just 16 goals in those seven games, though they\u2019ve scored only 14. Again, this isn\u2019t all down to Doughty alone. But sometimes it starts deeper in the zone and that\u2019s where Doughty can really help to make a difference. Doughty, statistically speaking, has been the team\u2019s best puck moving defenseman from his own zone. Per SportLOGIQ, Doughty has the best success rate in completing passes from his defensive zone among Kings defensemen. He\u2019s willing to try to stretch the ice and he\u2019s been really good at outletting the puck on the breakout. He\u2019s the team\u2019s best two-way defenseman in terms of combining his impact both with the puck and without it. <\/p>\n
Really good signs to see him approaching a return. Assuming Doughty will be a game-time decision here tomorrow and we\u2019ll have to get a sense of where he\u2019s at in the morning. <\/p>\n
For today, here is the alignment the Kings went with during today\u2019s skate up front. <\/p>\n
Moore \u2013 Kopitar \u2013 Kempe
Fiala \u2013 Byfield \u2013 Armia
Foegele \u2013 Laferriere \u2013 Kuzmenko
Malott \u2013 Turcotte \u2013 Perry
Helenius<\/p>\n
On the blueline, there were seven defensemen, so there was a lot of mixing and matching. Saw Mikey Anderson run drills with Joel Edmundson, as he has been, but also with Doughty and with Brandt Clarke. Saw Clarke and Doughty go together a couple times. Saw Brian Dumoulin go with Cody Ceci as well. Ultimately, not sure where the pairings will land tomorrow. What feels most likely is how the Kings were rolling things before Doughty\u2019s injury, with him next to Anderson and then partnerships of Edmundson\/Clarke and Dumoulin\/Ceci. However, that might be one we confirm for sure during warmups tomorrow evening.<\/p>\n
So, lots to keep an eye on for tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Danault\u2019s status off the maintenance day, Foegele\/Doughty availability, defensive pairings and I suppose the starting goaltender as well. Same bat time, same bat channel in the AM!<\/p>\n
Lastly, for today, forward Samuel Helenius signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019m excited. It\u2019s difficult when you don\u2019t have a contract for next season and this feels good to know where you\u2019re going to stay next year. I\u2019m excited, it feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim Hiller spoke highly of Helenius, both as a player and for how he\u2019s handled a difficult season thus far. Helenius has not complained with a reduced role and he\u2019s been extremely invested in practices, working on his game, keeping the correct attitude. Hiller has appreciated that, pointing to his situation as a difficult one, based more on circumstance than anything Helenius isn\u2019t showing him. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so circumstantial for him, we really like him, obviously, we extended him,\u201d Jim Hiller said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to be in the league for a long, long time and he\u2019s never leaving, he\u2019s that good, it\u2019s just timing, opportunity, all those things. In the meantime, he\u2019s been tremendously patient. He works on his game every day with a smile on his face. He\u2019s doing all the right things and when we can get him in there, we will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helenius has a longer-term outlook here with the Kings and the extension shows that. Seemed to be happy to sign it and keep things going with the Kings.<\/p>\n