Doughty notched an assist, two shots on goal, three hits and four PIM in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Hurricanes.
This was Doughty's third game back from a broken ankle which required surgery. He's already jumped into heavy minutes in a top-four role, but he's gone minus-4 so far. The helper was his first point of the season, and he's added four hits and one blocked shot. The 35-year-old has rarely had long-term injuries in his career, but this is one that will likely take him some time to get back up to full speed. Still, fantasy managers should be patient with the veteran blueliner for now.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Cleared to make season debut
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Doughty (ankle) will make his season debut against the Panthers on Wednesday, George Richards of FloridaHockeyNow.com reports.
Doughty has been sidelined since sustaining an ankle injury in training camp, but he worked in a regular sweater at practice last week and has been cleared to make his season debut on the road Wednesday. Doughty appeared in all 82 regular-season games for the Kings last year and logged 15 goals, 35 points, 142 blocked shots, 109 hits and 44 PIM while averaging 25:48 of ice time. It's possible that the Kings monitor his playing time slightly following his lengthy absence, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him reclaim a prominent role soon.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Ditches non-contact sweater
Rotowire
Doughty (ankle) was working in a regular sweater Wednesday and will travel with the Kings for their upcoming five-game road trip, Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period reports.
Doughty looks close to making his 2024-25 season debut, though the team hasn't provided a specific day he will be back in action. Still, it seems likely the veteran blueliner will suit up at some point during the upcoming trip since he is traveling with the team. Once back in the lineup, Doughty should reclaim a spot on the power play in addition to being a top-four option.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Progressing in recovery
Rotowire
Head coach Jim Hiller said Monday that Doughty (ankle) has been progressing in his recovery and "sees the finish line," Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
Doughty has been on long-term injured reserve since the start of the regular season after he underwent ankle surgery in early October. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action, but Hiller's comments are encouraging and suggest that Doughty is getting closer to his season debut.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Resumes skating
Rotowire
Head coach Jim Hiller said Tuesday that Doughty (ankle) has resumed skating, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
Doughty underwent ankle surgery in early October and has been on long-term injured reserve since the start of the regular season. While Hiller said Tuesday that Doughty is still "a ways away," the 35-year-old blueliner took a significant step in his recovery process by resuming skating. It's possible that Doughty will be in the mix to return to game action sometime in January.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Making progress in recovery
Rotowire
Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period reports that Doughty (ankle) is aiming to return to action in early January as long as there are no setbacks in his recovery.
Doughty was seen leaving the arena without a walking boot after the Kings' 5-2 home win over the Senators on Saturday. It was the first time the right-shot blueliner has been seen without a walking boot since being around the team, Bernstein relays. When healthy, Doughty should retain his spot on the top pair and No. 1 power-play unit. Brandt Clarke hasn't looked out of place filling in for Doughty on the man advantage, though, which could allow the Kings to ease the latter back into his usual workload.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Shifts to LTIR
Rotowire
Doughty (ankle) was moved to long-term injured reserve Wednesday.
The decision to put Doughty on LTIR shouldn't come as a surprise considering he is currently month-to-month following ankle surgery. Without the veteran on the blue line, Jordan Spence could be tasked with a significantly bigger role this year, including running the No. 1 power-play unit. Whenever Doughty does return, however, he should immediately reclaim that spot with the man advantage.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Goes on injured reserve
Rotowire
Doughty (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.
Doughty is considered month-to-month following ankle surgery. He sustained a fracture during the preseason, and an exact timeline for his recovery remains unclear. The 35-year-old defender accumulated 15 goals, 50 points, 135 shots on net, 142 blocked shots and 109 hits in 82 games in the 2023-24 regular season. Jordan Spence, Kyle Burroughs and Brandt Clarke could see increased roles during Doughty's absence.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Needs surgery, is month-to-month
Rotowire
Doughty will undergo surgery to repair a fractured ankle and is month-to-month, the team announced Friday.
The loss of Doughty can't be overstated for the Kings. He's a massive part of their blue line, averaging 25:48 of ice time last season, including 3:15 with the man advantage. He had 15 goals, 50 points, 44 PIM, 109 hits and 142 blocks across 82 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. With Doughty out for an extended period, Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke could receive expanded roles, including increased minutes on the power play.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Suffers fractured ankle
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Doughty sustained a fractured ankle in Wednesday's preseason matchup, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports.
Team doctors are still evaluating Doughty, so it's unclear what his exact timeline might be at this point, but he will likely face an extended stint on the shelf. The veteran blueliner's absence will create a significant gap on the Kings' blue line, one that is not likely to be filled by a single player. It's the 23-year-old Jordan Spence who could benefit the most if he can secure his spot on the No. 1 power-play unit in Doughty's absence.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Exits preseason contest
Rotowire
Doughty (lower body) won't return to Wednesday's preseason game versus the Golden Knights.
Doughty couldn't put any weight on his left leg after colliding into the boards in the first period. Given that it's preseason, the Kings quickly ruled him out for the remainder of the contest. Expect the team to be cautious with Doughty, as there's little point in risking further injury before the regular season begins. The Kings' next game is Saturday versus the Ducks.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Nets lone goal in loss
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Doughty scored a goal and added 12 PIM in Friday's 6-1 loss to the Oilers in Game 3.
Doughty got the Kings on the board in the second period, but they weren't able to muster a rally. His slashing penalty in the first also led to the first of the Oilers' three power-play markers. Doughty's offense (two goals, one assist, five shots on net) has been fine in the playoffs, but he's also gone minus-2 with 12 PIM, three hits and three blocked shots over three contests in the first round.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Tallies in win
Rotowire
Doughty scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 5-4 overtime win over the Oilers in Game 2.
Doughty got loose on a breakaway and converted for the Kings' third goal of the contest. The defenseman has two points, four shots on net, two hits and three blocked shots over two playoff contests. Doughty should continue to see massive minutes in all situations, so there will be chances for him to produce steady offense.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Nabs helper in loss
Rotowire
Doughty recorded an assist, two blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Oilers in Game 1.
Doughty has six points over 10 contests since the start of April. The 34-year-old defenseman has plenty of playoff experience, and he's still capable of eating big minutes on the top pairing. Doughty averaged 25:48 of ice time per game during the regular season, earning 15 goals, 35 assists, 142 blocked shots, 109 hits and a plus-15 rating in 82 appearances. He's still a workhorse, and he's reliable enough to be effective in all zones.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Delivers assist Saturday
Rotowire
Doughty notched an assist and two PIM in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Ducks.
Doughty has earned a goal and five helpers over his last eight contests. The 34-year-old defenseman is up to 50 points for the season, his second year in a row at that level. He's also reached that milestone five times in his career. Doughty has added 131 shots on net, 140 blocked shots, 108 hits, 44 PIM and a plus-14 rating through 80 appearances in 2023-24.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Contributes helper in win
Rotowire
Doughty logged an assist, two shots on goal and two hits in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Flames.
Doughty helped out on Viktor Arvidsson's empty-net goal in the third period. The 34-year-old Doughty has five points over his last seven games -- he's added 17 hits, 10 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating in that span. For the season, the star defenseman has 49 points, 130 shots on net, 139 blocked shots, 108 hits and a plus-13 rating through 79 appearances.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Earns two points in win
Rotowire
Doughty scored a goal, dished an assist, added two hits and went minus-2 in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Canucks.
Both of Doughty's points came on first-period power plays. The goal was his first since Feb. 29, though he's picked up nine assists over the 17 contests in between. Through 77 games, Doughty has 15 goals, 33 helpers, 20 power-play points, 124 shots on net, 103 hits, 136 blocked shots and a plus-13 rating in a workhorse role on the top pairing.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Supplies helper Monday
Rotowire
Doughty logged an assist and five hits in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Jets.
Doughty has been limited to four assists over his last nine outings. The 34-year-old defenseman has generally, however, been as steady as ever on the Kings' top pairing this year, racking up 46 points (18 on the power play) through 74 contests. He's added 121 shots on net, 100 hits, 132 blocked shots, 42 PIM and a plus-15 rating to offer a balanced stat line for fantasy managers.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Reaches 30-assist mark
Rotowire
Doughty logged two assists, three shots on goal and two PIM in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Wild.
Doughty had gone three games without a point entering Wednesday. Prior to that short slump, he opened March with a helper in five of six contests. The 34-year-old blueliner continues to provide solid all-around production with 44 points, 118 shots on net, 125 blocked shots, 89 hits, 40 PIM and a plus-15 rating over 69 appearances in a top-pairing role.
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Kings' Drew Doughty: Assists in three straight games
Rotowire
Doughty notched an assist and blocked four shots in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Islanders.
Doughty has a helper in each of the last three games, and he's gotten on the scoresheet in six of the last seven contests. The defenseman is up to 41 points, 109 shots on net, 121 blocked shots, 85 hits and a plus-11 rating through 64 outings. He has a good chance to reach the 50-point mark for the second year in a row and the fifth time in his career barring a deep slump down the stretch.
