Re-signing Doughty top priority for Kings
The Los Angeles Kings believe they are still Stanley Cup contenders, even after being swept by the upstart Vegas Golden Knights in the first round.
How close they are to that goal might be reflected in how negotiations go with defenceman Drew Doughty this summer.
General manager Rob Blake said Friday a contract extension with Doughty is the team’s top priority. The Kings and Doughty can begin talks on July 1, with his deal set to expire at the end of the 2018-19 season.
“I always wanted to be an L.A. King and I want to stay an L.A. King,” Doughty said.
Doughty is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy presented to the league’s top defenceman after winning it in 2016. He had 10 goals and 50 assists in his most productive NHL season yet, but Doughty believes he can still improve his scoring output.
The Kings scored just three goals in four games against the Golden Knights. Developing a more reliable offence is the one glaring weakness that needs be addressed, and lifting the Stanley Cup for a third time is a reasonable goal provided it gets solved going into next season.
“Everybody is still here that was here in ’14 and almost in ’12 for that matter, too, so we’re not that far off,” centre Anze Kopitar said.
CAREER YEARS
Kopitar set personal bests with 35 goals and 57 assists while averaging a career-high 22:05 of playing time. His 92 points represented a 40-point improvement over his lacklustre 2016-17, leading Kopitar to joke he is “aging like wine.”
Dustin Brown had 61 points to top his previous high of 60 set in 2007-08, his fourth season in the league. Doughty had 60 points after reaching the 50-point plateau once.
Doughty’s usual defensive partner, Jake Muzzin, had 42 points. Even depth forward Trevor Lewis got into the act with 26 points, including 14 goals, in his best season.
FORWARD THINKING
Rookie Adrian Kempe was fourth on the team with 16 goals despite not finding the back of the net in the final 29 games of the regular season. Stepping in at centre when Jeff Carter missed 55 games following surgery to repair a cut tendon in his ankle, Kempe showed a surprising toughness to go along with his natural quickness. If Kempe can continue to develop, he could decrease the reliance on Kopitar, who will be 31 when next season starts, and the 33-year-old Carter.