Statue4Deano
Super Star
I say yes.
Prediction:
80 GP 12 G 34 A 46 P 24:30 TOI
Prediction:
80 GP 12 G 34 A 46 P 24:30 TOI
Drew Doughty redemption season?
- Thread starter Statue4Deano
- Start date
DryKing
Power Forward
I like it, but if he is averaging that many minutes something is wrong. For Doughty to be optimal he needs to average under 24 minutes (preferably under 23).
JC6388LAKings
Super Star
I doubt it for a reason. He isn't likely to return to the DD of old and it's to be expected, so the rest of you more optimistic folks can go ahead. Until he can prove it and make me eat crow for the next coming season, I'm not holding my breath.
Bollocks
Top Forward
I don't know, in 23-24 season he netted 15+35 in 82. Last season's injury wasn't very bad from a longevity standpoint (fractures heal much better than ligaments) - in fact, in a way he was resting for half a season, which could actually be a boon long-term.
If the team proves good enough to be near the top I also can't see his motivation dropping.
He's not THAT old and worn out yet. Scott Niedermayer played until 37 at a very high level with 26+ min TOI till the very end and retired "early" (IMO he could've played for a season or two more at a very high level).
I know we give DD a lot of flak for his contract, but he's still a key piece of this team and wants to win. If he retired today, the Kings can basically wrap it up and start rebuilding immediately.
McSorleyFan
3rd Line Winger
DD has to be one of the most competitive guys on the team let alone the league. I expect him to bring it every time he's on the ice ... until his last shift in the NHL. I just hope they don't over play him and he's ok with that.
Clif
Super Star
This thread makes me think: basically every analysis of the Kings’ defense I’ve seen assesses Doughty based on last season. It’s a given to them that Kings just lost their number one D in Gavrikov.
If Drew rebounds at all, and he should, it’s already a better D than is being described based on his play alone.
If Drew rebounds at all, and he should, it’s already a better D than is being described based on his play alone.
Statue4Deano
Super Star
Doughty had back to back 50 point seasons before his major injury in 2024. If he comes to camp healthy and in good shape I think he’ll be back to a 1st pairing D man.
Statue4Deano
Super Star
If Brandt Clarke can eat into some of those minutes I won’t complain. But if Hiller/King are giving those minutes to Cody Ceci then it’s going to be a long season.
DoubleMinor
Top Forward
There is no doubt that Doughty is older and he’s also coming off a significant injury. We cannot discount any of that.
But Drew is also a guy who seems to have pretty good stamina and is still a very good defenseman. He loves to play and loves to compete.
I just don’t see Doughty being a real concern at this point. If he can limit the shift length, limit his PP time, he should be able to handle being a top pair defender for the next two years if he can keep his minutes in the low 20’s.
The Kings defense is not a real concern for me. It’s just made up of different components. We aren’t really going to know until we see it. But the Kings have a long history of being a top defensive team and I don’t have much reason to think that is going to change.
What party?
Taxi Squad
Maybe.
I'd say we could start our "reggae Friday" songs again for the summer. But, at a certain point, it was just you and me dolphin. We had our fun. =) Onward and upward.
Good luck Drew, from a noted critic. Make Neidermeyer no longer the bar for which all aging defensemen are measured.
symbology
TEAM LGK
That is why I am/was so against this Ceci deal. I do not think Clarke is ready to eat into those minutes and he will start the season on the 3rd pairing, (IMO). Overall, I am not sold on Clarke just yet. He did some things in the playoffs that concerned me. That being said, he could easily come into camp and after working on his game over the summer those issues could be a thing of the past. Lets hope that they are.
symbology
TEAM LGK
I think Drew's last few years in the league will follow a similar path to Dan Boyle's more so than Neidermeyer's
DarkLeftHand
Super Star
Depends on how his skating stride looks in training camp. It was choppy AF when he came back from injury, so hopefully it just needed to be loosened up.
That being said, his PPG rate was pretty high for those 30 games.
That being said, his PPG rate was pretty high for those 30 games.
DryKing
Power Forward
Haha so true but isn't that why Ceci and Dumoulin brought on- to eat minutes?
I do think Clarke will average around 18 minutes a game (up roughly 2 from last season), and, honestly, will need to average at least that to help develop into the player we hope he will be. The interesting part is not having a D on PP1 and what that does to the minutes in regards to both Clarke and Doughty if they run that way for the full season.
I don't think anyone can convince Doughty to reduce his minutes, though. End of the day, he'd average 24+ as a 50 year old if the coach were to allow him.
DoubleMinor
Top Forward
I think this the year to find out about Clarke.
I get that he’s still developing. And he has had a lot to learn on the D side. But the Kings need to find out what they have with Clarke. I don’t mean he needs to be a top pair guy. But the coaching staff needs to shed the training wheels.
The Doughty comment was funny. He does seem like the guy who would play til he’s 50 if he could.
It will be interesting to see how Hilier deals with both Kopi and Doughty this year. Kopi needs less TOI and fewer hard minutes especially on the PK. And Doughty doesn’t seem like he’d be thrilled with no or little PP time. Hard conversations with two Kings icons.
DryKing
Power Forward
Agreed, this needs to be a year of transitioning from the old guard to the new. Byfield, Clarke, Turcotte, and Laferriere all need to be key focus points this season and Kopi shouldn't get a reprieve from the PK in his final season (and hopefully be fresher for the playoffs as a result).
Now Chirping
- No one is chatting at the moment.