Do the Kings Look Internally or Externally to Exchange Drew Doughty?
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Interval joined Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick on Sirius XM NHL Community Radio Morning Skate and was requested what the Los Angeles Kings will do to switch injured defenseman Drew Doughty. He said there are a few choices on the desk.
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Scott Laughlin: “Dave Pagnotta with us right here on the NHL Morning Skate. And Dave You and DB Dennis Bernstein have at all times been fairly near that Los Angeles scenario. Are you able to supply up an excellent opinion right here on how the Kings go ahead with out Drew Doughty, presumably for a few months?
So it appears like, and I feel that is the best technique to go about it, a minimum of in the meanwhile, that they’re going to attempt to backfill internally in attempting to switch all of the minutes and accountability he takes on, even into the latter phases of his profession. So whether or not it’s Jordan Spence or Brandt Clarke. What do you consider the Kings, a minimum of, with the ability to tread water till they get their primary defenseman again.”
Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah. And the largest factor for them is the truth that, I suppose, Drew’s not going to be out for the complete season. The anticipation that he’s going to be again in two or three months. And that provides sure alternative for some guys to step up.
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And you recognize when the mindset, the planning phases have been in place, they introduced in Joel Edmondson. They needed him to be the anchor on a pair with Brandt Clarke, permit Clarke to do his factor offensively. And a minimum of, you’ve obtained a man who’s large, bodily and might maintain his personal, he can maintain his personal within the zone, there’s going to be a possibility for grant Clarke, and as you mentioned, Jordan Spence they usually initially began Kyle Burroughs subsequent to Mikey Anderson on the highest there to see if they will, a minimum of, type of maintain the fort.
You’re not going to switch a Drew Doughty. No crew isn’t going to have the ability to do this. However you are able to do sufficient over the two-three months he’s going to be out to maintain a stable sufficient tempo of play, however you may nonetheless be a part of the playoff image. After which, as soon as Drew comes again and permit your self to propel from there.
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It’s a special sort of scenario versus shedding certainly one of their top-tier guys. You recognize, it’s a trickier scenario. This crew has an honest quantity of depth up entrance, however on the again finish, how will they replicate any sort of tempo of play that Drew Doughty can carry?
Nicely, you may’t. So, are you able to modify your sport a bit of bit, and might a few of their guys step up with a view to present not solely a two-way type, but in addition type of give attention to the offense, and, you recognize, taking a look at a few of the offense that they misplaced and making an allowance for what Drew can do in the event you can type of replicate a few of that offense within the first third of the season, they need to be in good condition by way of playoff rivalry, however lots of it’s going to rely on a few of their youthful guys.
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Such as you mentioned Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence. On the similar time, how is Darcy Kuemper going to carry out? Is he going to have the ability to step up? You’re going to want just a few guys on the Kings crew to step up with out Doughty the lineup. They really feel they’ve obtained sufficient depth to do it, they usually’ve obtained a tiny little bit of cap area.
What they notice that, you recognize, the primary month that they’re not capable of do one thing, they will discover and check out to herald any individual in that, 1.5 to $2 million vary. That’s realistically the kind of cap area that they’ve on the similar time, guys, we’ve additionally been type of exploring the fourth line middle place.
They have been type of seeking to see if they will fill that void internally. It appears to be like like they’re going to ultimately look exterior the membership to attempt to tackle that want in a while within the season.”
