Kings Top Defender to Make Season Debut
![Apr 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) looks on during the third period of a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images Apr 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (8) looks on during the third period of a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5936,h_3339,x_0,y_441/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/breakaway_on_si/01jjsgqk4j48ahvs8769.jpg)
The Los Angeles Kings have been dealing with tough news recently. Between struggles throughout the lineup and injuries to overcome, a huge piece of news is sure to bring some positivity to the Kings.
The Kings' Head Coach Jim Hiller announced that the team's top defenseman Drew Doughty will make his season debut against the Florida Panthers. In addition to Hiller's update, the Kings' Public Relations team shared a picture of a smiling Doughty via their X account to indicate his return.
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 29, 2025
Doughty will be playing in his first regular season game of the 2024-2025 season when he steps onto the ice against the Panthers. He played in one preseason game at the start of the campaign, but unfortunately fractured his ankle in that contest. The 35 year-old blue liner has been working hard in his rehabilitation in order to come back just four months after the injury.
While Doughty begins his 16th season, he's shown no signs of slowing down yet. Last year, he was a minutes-eating defender while skating in all 82 contests. He posted 15 goals and 35 assists for 50 points while averaging above 25 minutes of ice-time a night for the 12th straight campaign.
The Kings meanwhile will be overjoyed to have Doughty back in the lineup. His return comes at the perfect time, as their defensive production has taken a hit over recent weeks. The offensive burden was carried admirably by rookie Brandt Clarke, but he has just three points since the calendar flipped to 2025. Doughty's return will alleviate the pressure on Clarke and hopefully help unlock that production once again.
One of the biggest impacts Doughty can bring is an improvement to their power play. Los Angeles currently boasts the fourth-lowest power play conversion percentage at just under 16%. It's been a disappointing unit for most of the season, but Doughty's ability to run the power play could help bring that unit up the league rankings.
Overall, the Kings are going to benefit from Doughty's return. They'll have to reintegrate him into the lineup slowly after his lengthy layoff, but sooner than later they will have their top defender back doing top defender things in Los Angeles.