Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff studies that Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty suffered a left ankle harm throughout Wednesday’s 3-2 preseason win over the Golden Knights.
Seravalli said an “initial quick X-ray” showed a fracture in the ankle, with additional imaging set to occur Thursday. Doughty left the contest early in the first period and did not return after falling awkwardly while colliding with Golden Knights winger Tanner Pearson, inflicting his left foot to jam into the boards.
There’s no timeline for Doughty’s return but. In keeping with the Mount Sinai Health System, if there’s no further structural injury to his ankle on high of the fracture, his restoration window will seemingly be set within the six-to-10-week vary.
That restoration interval would delay Doughty’s 2024-25 common season debut till early November, if not later. In that case, he’d miss across the first 15 video games of Los Angeles’ season, if no more.
It’s a troublesome break for the 34-year-old, who’s loved a late-career resurgence over the previous couple of seasons. The 2008 second-overall choose has rediscovered his two-way sport after a big decline in play across the pandemic, rebounding for back-to-back seasons above the 50-point plateau with good possession impacts. He performed in all 82 video games final 12 months, scored 15 objectives, the second-most of his 16-year NHL profession, and completed eleventh in Norris Trophy voting.
Doughty final missed important time within the 2021-22 season. Knee and wrist accidents restricted him to 37 video games and stored him out of postseason play. They minimize brief one in all his finest campaigns — with 31 factors, he was on tempo for a career-high of 65 had he stayed wholesome.
For the Kings, it’s a large blow to a protection that misplaced second-pairing fixture Matt Roy to the Capitals in free company final offseason. They do have a pair of promising right-shot children, although, in Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence.
Spence, now 23, made his NHL debut in Doughty’s stead throughout his injury-plagued 2021-22 marketing campaign. He averaged 19:45 per sport down the stretch of the common season, posting eight factors in 24 contests.
Since then, he’s developed right into a high-end third-pairing defender. He emerged as a full-time NHLer final season, ending third amongst Kings defensemen in scoring with 24 factors (2 G, 22 A) in 71 video games with a +5 ranking whereas averaging 14:26 per sport. He was anticipated to take over Roy’s spot alongside Vladislav Gavrikov on the staff’s second pair, however he would possibly must play spot obligation on the highest pair alongside Mikey Anderson with Doughty now set to overlook time.
They’ve a higher-upside but much less skilled possibility in Clarke. The 21-year-old was chosen eighth total within the 2021 draft and his nonetheless working his means towards turning into a full-timer NHLer, a feat he was anticipated to perform this season. He’ll positively accomplish that now, as he and Spence now venture to be the Kings’ high two right-shot defenders to start the season. He was one of many AHL’s finest defensemen final season, posting 46 factors in 50 video games with the Ontario Reign. He additionally had six factors in 16 video games of NHL obligation for the Kings however was used sparingly, averaging solely 13:39 per sport.
