It is a big offseason for the Los Angeles Kings after the hiring of Peter Laviolette as the next head coach. There is a lot of work to do for the Kings under General Manager Ken Holland, at a minimum, another top-six center. They still have questions at the 3c. Scott Laughlin could come back, but they need to fill that hole as well. Are they moving some defenseman around to make room there, as well as the goaltending position?
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However, as “The Mayor” Jon Hoven said on TFP Hotstove on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Saturday with Dennis Bernstein, Dave Pagnotta, and Ryan Paton, there is a big question about the backend and the future of Drew Doughty.
Dave Pagnotta: “What’s priority number one roster-wise? For this, is it a 1C or a 2C?”
Jon Hoven: “Well, Dave, what I would say is the number one issue is a topic that is really flying under the radar at a national level, and I’ve been saying this as loudly as I possibly can over the last couple of weeks. It’s the situation with Drew Doughty, because what happens with Drew Doughty has tentacles that impact the entire rest of the decisions that are on the to-do list.
Drew Doughty being in Los Angeles or not being Los Angeles impacts the salary gap significantly. He’s at $11 million next year. So, what happens with that money? It has to do with the captaincy of the team heading into next year, obviously, with the retirement of Anze Kopitar.
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How you disperse the minutes? Brandt Clarke is here. Brandt Clarke has arrived, and hopefully, if we had some sort of bug in the room when Holland was talking to Laviolette, hopefully one of those conversations was about Brandt Clarke getting more minutes. He’s here, he’s arrived, he’s ready to go again. How does that impact Drew Doughty?
Doughty wants an extension and to continue his career in Los Angeles. He wants to play for another three to four years, which would have to be at a reduced role and at a reduced rate as well. And if that’s not something that sounds very appealing to Drew Doughty, I would say going into training camp without a contract extension, you absolutely cannot do. The LA Kings are in a position where they’re looking to turn the page, they’re looking to move past the Cup years, the Anze Kopitar years, etc.
Just look at what they’ve done with the hiring of Peter Laviolette. They’re moving away from their defensive first identity. This is going to be a different team. I’m not saying they’re going to be better, but they’re going to be a different team than they were the last couple of years. Can’t tell you how they’re going to look until about 30 days from now, but the Drew Doughty decision impacts what they do, including going out and getting that center, because of the cap implications.
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So that’s step one, and one A, if you want to call it 1b right behind it would be what they’re going to do at the center position, because they have limited assets, a couple of first-round picks, a young goaltending prospect, perhaps with limited assets to be able to go out and swing a deal.
So Ken Holland is going to have to be very, very creative to fill all of the holes and make all of the roster moves that he wants to make.”
NHLRumors.com Note: With the style of play Laviolette wants to make, does this allow the Kings to go get a guy like Vincent Trocheck? Do they try to inquire about Vladislav Gavrikov and get him back? They don’t have many assets to give. But it is interesting that players who meant so much to teams during their Cup years could be on the move. This is a business, and Drew Doughty isn’t the player he once was. So the decision they make on him impacts a lot of what they can do.
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