Just when things were looking up for the Kings, they will once again have to contend with the extended absence of defenseman Drew Doughty.
The alternate captain, Norris Trophy winner, and two-time Stanley Cup champion will miss multiple weeks of action, per multiple reports.
Saturday, Doughty was struck in the left foot with a drive from the blue line by Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven. Although Doughty recovered to break up a centering pass destined for the back post, he then left the game and did not return.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Doughty departed the Canadian Tire Centre in a walking boot and The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta shared that Doughty would miss “a few weeks.”
Doughty’s injury wasn’t the only ugliness in a 60-minute slog that the Kings won 1-0 to improve to 4-0-0 on a six-game road trip, which included perhaps their two strongest performances thus far, in Montreal and Toronto. The Kings have captured 17 of their past 18 possible road points and 20 of 24 overall while struggling at home, representing a complete about-face from last season’s splits.
During the first 13 years of his career, Doughty missed just 19 games total, including eight campaigns in which he played every single contest. Since then, Doughty has missed 96 matches, the bulk of which came last season after he broke his left ankle during the preseason. His left foot is again at issue, though there was no indication that the two injuries were related.
Doughty underwent two separate procedures as a result of the broken ankle, which did not preclude him from winning a gold medal with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off or playing heavy minutes in the Kings’ fourth straight first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Though his duties have diminished for the third consecutive campaign, Doughty still leads the Kings in time on ice, logging 22:32 per game. His absence will likely summon veteran Kyle Burroughs from the minors. Burroughs played in just 33 NHL games last year, none in the playoffs, and from December onward earned double-digit minutes just twice in a pair of late-season affairs.
More likely than Burroughs taking on a significant role for the Kings is Brian Dumoulin sliding over to right defense, possibly skating opposite Mikey Anderson on the top pairing, and Jacob Moverare getting some looks on the third pairing with Cody Ceci. Last year, Vladislav Gavrikov replaced Doughty, but he’s now a New York Ranger, with another regular on right defense, Jordan Spence, having paired with Kleven following an offseason trade to Ottawa.
There could also be more opportunity for Brandt Clarke, who has been the Kings’ No. 2 right defenseman and No. 1 scorer from the blue line this season. He has notched nine points in 19 games as part of a defense corps that has produced a lean seven goals so far, just over half the total of the league-leading Columbus Blue Jackets.