Yes, LA GM Ken Holland entered the offseason with a full list of to-do items: naming a coach, finding a center, fixing his defense, and naming a new captain — just to name a few. However, no single story will likely have the impact of what comes next for Drew Doughty.
The 36-year-old defenseman will be entering the final year of his contract and has stated he wants to finish his career in Los Angeles… after likely playing several more seasons.
How Holland navigates the Doughty situation will likely have huge ramifications for the organization, regardless of the path chosen. Signing him to an extension would almost certainly need to be at a steep discount from his current $11-million price tag (regardless of the salary cap going up). It would also likely require an understanding between Doughty, Holland, and new coach Peter Laviolette that the two-time Stanley Cup-winning blueliner is going to see his minutes ratcheted back a bit.
Signing or not signing next month will also play into him getting consideration for the open captaincy. Doughty stated he wants the letter during exit interviews in April:
Doughty Wants to Stay and Wants the C
Drew Doughty didn’t leave much room for interpretation during his exit interview. On his future: “I want to stay in LA for the rest of my career until I retire.” On his play: “I understand that my performance this season wasn’t as good as it needs to be, and I expect to bring it back up next year.” And on the captaincy: “It would mean the world to me to be captain.”
At 36 years old, he’s eligible for an extension this summer — and one that can include incentive clauses — but said there have been no conversations with management in that direction quite yet. He was also the only player who answered the captaincy question head-on — both Kempe and Anderson shifted focus to the group when asked the same thing, as we covered here.
Mayor’s Manor founder John Hoven has shared his extended thoughts on the subject in a series of radio interviews over the past week:
RADIO REPLAY: Talking Kings Hiring Laviolette, His Assistants, Larkin Rumors, and Other Roster Moves
Would Holland be comfortable entering training camp with his star defenseman sitting on an expiring contract?
“We have talked once, actually I texted him and we’re going to meet again next week,” said Holland, when asked that specific question at today’s press conference. “I’m open to — let’s see. I want to talk to him and see what he’s thinking. I know what I’m thinking. And I’m comfortable going either way.”
Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar retired in Kings uniforms. Jonathan Quick’s exit wasn’t the most graceful — though it came in a summer when he was heading toward free agency and the Kings weren’t planning to bring him back.
This whole Doughty situation just feels too important to kick the can down the road. Thus, it would seem that some clarity is likely to come in the next 30 days. Whichever direction the two sides go, this one looms large for an entire organization at a crossroads as they look to reshape their future.
Lead photo by ALoImages
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