The clock started on July 1. That was the day that unrestricted free agents could sign new contracts, but it was also the day that players who are due to become restricted free agents next summer could sign contract extensions.
Among that group, the Kings have perhaps the most high-profile player in Drew Doughty. The Kings didn’t sign Doughty to an extension this summer, although there’s still time — Anze Kopitar signed his big extension during camp a couple years ago — and beyond that, there’s no particular rush. Doughty wants to stay in L.A., the Kings want him and Dean Lombardi is on record as saying the Kings would never lose Doughty to an offer sheet.
There were some preliminary talks this summer between the Kings and Doughty’s agent, but it doesn’t appear as though anything is imminent. I asked Doughty today if he gave much thought to his contract situation this summer.
“It hasn’t really come up,” Doughty said. “They were really up in that Kovalchuk stuff and some other things. I think everyone knows that I want to stay here in L.A. and I want to be a King, but there’s no rush. I’ve still got all the way up until next summer, so there’s a lot of time. I just want to focus on the season right now.”
The timing could probably be better for the Kings. Management types have expressed concern about the upcoming collective-bargaining negotiations, and the fact that the payroll/salary-cap landscape might change dramatically in 2012. It might be risky — both for the Kings and Doughty — for Doughty to sign a long-term contract without knowing if the landscape will change dramatically 12 months later.
Of course, every team has to deal with that, but the Kings might be in a more precarious spot given that they have three core players — Doughty, Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds, not to mention Jonathan Bernier — due to become restricted free agents next summer. Doughty said he hadn’t given much thought to how the CBA negotiations might impact his negotiations.
“Not really,” Doughty said. “To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it at all. When the times comes, I’ll sit down with my agent and talk it over and kind of look more into that stuff. But until we start talking contract, I’m just going to continue to focus here on camp.”
A big part of that focus has been on adjusting to a new partner. For much of last season, Doughty paired with Rob Scuderi, but the current plan is to pair Doughty with Willie Mitchell, who signed a two-year contract with the Kings last month.
“It’s been good,” Doughty said. “We’re having a lot of fun, off the ice and on the ice. Off the ice, we’re kind of the same personality types, and that kind of goes onto the ice as well. So we’re already building chemistry off the ice, and now on the ice we kind of can’t wait to get into a game get even more used to each other.”
Doughty was a Norris Trophy finalist as a 20-year-old last season. This time last year, he talked about improving his shooting, and this summer Doughty said he worked to elevate his overall game.
“Not really one thing in particular, just really everything,” Doughty said. “Working harder in the gym, trying to get stronger. Every time I was getting on the ice, I was trying to get quicker and faster, and still trying to work on my shot as much as I could. I just worked on every little aspect, trying to get better.”
Doughty finished with 16 goals and 43 assists last season, and coach Terry Murray will look to Doughty for strong offensive production again. Murray has stressed the need for defensemen to be aggressive and active in breakouts, and Doughty said the coaches have made that a point of on-ice emphasis early in training camp.
“They have,” Doughty said. “Teams are so good, positionally and defensively, these days that on the forecheck, they’re always going to have three back on the rush. We really need that fourth guy, that defenseman, to beat his forechecker and get up the ice. That will help us create a lot more scoring opportunities, and that’s kind of what the coaches have been harping on us about, to get up the ice. So we’re working on that in practice, and trying to translate it into game.”
Sooner than later would be nice. Seeing that the money not spent on Kovalchuk is actually going towards locking up these young kids would be a relief. That way the excuse would be legitimate as to why no big sniper was brought in…
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Geoff Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
@Klong, Agreed. It would be a complete heartbreak to see all of the summer’s posturing and soundbiting go to pot.
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Choralone Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
@Klong & Geoff,
Lomardi was already factoring in resigning Doughty, Johnson, and Simmonds down the road when he made the offer(s) to Kovalchuk. It’s not like if we signed Kovi, we wouldn’t have had any money left over for the kids.
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USHA#17 Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
@Choralone,
Hard to say, at $85M for 15 years that’s not a lot money held back. What we really need is a home grown scorer.
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The Kings should get this done ASAP.
No matter what everyone says…you just don’t want doubt creeping in on doughty….
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Get er done!… im thinking on the day of the home opener! like when kopi signed his!… id like to see them get all 3 done but just Doughty would be HUGE for the fans! GKG! and rich do u know what the line up for Thursdays game at staples will be or just that quick is starting?? thanks
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If Lombardi says that we will NEVER lose him to an offer sheet….Doughty’s agent really has no reason to sign anything. He can just wait for an exorbitant offer sheet…and a match by L.A.
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Mike L Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
@deelo,
Your taking too much into the words IMO. And besides its not Doughty’s agent who signs the dotted line
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sign this kid to a 15 year deal! im so excited for this season. can it just start already
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How many years would a deal have to be to get him up to his first year of UFA elegibilty? I think it would be a six year deal, correct me if I’m wrong… Most players want to be UFA at the youngest age they can (27?), as that would be the time they have most leverage in the marketplace as a UFA… So, what is the consensus on a six year deal, as far as caphit (average yearly salary) goes? I’m going to say six year 30-36 million dollars… Right now he’s in the last year of a three year 10.425 million dollar contract (3.475 million per year) What does everyone think?
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art Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
@Kings Win, Duck’s Lose,
As of 2008, any player whose contract has expired can declare himself an unrestricted free agent if he is at least 27 years old or has at least seven years of service as an NHL player.
This is his 3rd year, so we can give him another 3 year deal to keep is as an RFA. I’d think that we may be able to give him a 15-18 mil 3 year deal right now. But if he wins the Norris this year that same 3 year deal will be in the 18-21 mil range.
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Kings Win, Duck's Lose Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
@art, Thanks for that info… So DD would prefer to have a four year deal then… The Kings would rather a three year deal, or a six+ year deal from their standpoint… I say give him 5 mil a year for three or four years, or 6-7 mil a year for six+ years…
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pucktime Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 12:48 pm
@Kings Win, Duck’s Lose, given that he gave Kopi a 7 year deal, DL is not averse to going for the long stretch. And given Drew’s consistent position of wanting to stay a King, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 10 year deal. The only big question mark is the upcoming CBA
As long as we hold onto him I dont think it really matters when the deal is completed. Drew is the main reason we have imporved so much over the last couple years, and with him on the team I strongly believe we will continue to make the playoffs and get further every year. Lombardi knows what he is doing and I have a feeling Doughty will be wearing a Kings sweater his entire career.
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Does anyone know who doughty’s agent is?
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Jonathan Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
@jammer06,
Jay Grossman! XD
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@Jonathan,
Ha!
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Who Knows? Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
@jammer06, It seriously is Jay Grossman.
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jet Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
@Who Knows?, that guy still has clients?
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Sydor25 Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
@Who Knows?,
Don Meehan is Drew’s agent. Don’t start stupid rumors.
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This will get done. Both sides seem determined to extend the relationship, so that is positive. Will be interesting to see the Jack Johnson thing play out in light of some of the past between Johnson and Lombardi.
On a side note, the NHL Network released its pre-season broadcast schedule. Some teams on up to 5-6 games..I didn’t see one game of the Kings. There was even a couple Ducks game. Can’t find one Kings game to put on in that entire schedule?
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@deelo, Lombardi has always been crystal clear in his comments about his dislike for offer sheets in general.
I think it goes more to his “Go ahead, make my day” attitude toward any other team ever taking a run at any King with an offer sheet.
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Serious … Grossman is his agent? Oh, geezus.
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Still think they could have tried to add one more young stud forward AND still be able to sign their core players before next year!!
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