Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty is undergoing more tests for a lower-body injury he got during a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Doughty injured his left leg on Wednesday when he crashed into the boards while battling Golden Knights forward Tanner Pearson in the first period of a 3-2 victory. On Thursday, he was seen in a protective boot and using a knee scooter at the team facility.
“You don’t want to have Drew out for an extended period of time, but that’s just a sad reality now and we’re gonna have to deal with it,” said Kings center and captain Anze Kopitar.
Head coach Jim Hiller didn’t go into details about the tests but expects the team to have more information later on Thursday.
Doughty, 34, has been a key player for the Kings as he enters his 17th season and is one of the last connections to their Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014.
Last season, he was second in the NHL for time on ice, averaging 25:48, and led Kings defensemen with 15 goals and 35 assists.
If Doughty is out, Los Angeles will need to fill two spots in their top four defensemen for Hiller’s first full season. Matt Roy, who was second on the team in ice time, assists, and points, signed a six-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1.
The Kings have two promising young players, Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence, who could step in.
Clarke, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is about to play his first full NHL season after scoring two goals and six assists in 25 games over the last two seasons. The 21-year-old is seen as a potential offensive talent but may need time to adjust to being a strong two-way defender at this level.
