Salary Cap: I mean … it makes a lot of sense if you look at the numbers!

[SaltyElkHunter]

I think the only way it happens is if we get wholesale management changes. A new GM and president come in and just don’t buy his bullshit and take a no nonsense the Kings are an organization trying to win the cup and players are brought in to perform and treated like elite athletes not demigods.

Bye Drew! Thanks for the cups, laughs, and good times. I’m sure Toronto will pay you a ridiculous amount of money and you come out of this a richer man. Not to mention the previous contract is subject to your marital terms and the new ones are not.

 

[chris kontos]

Im all for it. But i thought we should have traded him a few yrs back when we might have returned something for him. Its certainly not objective and only based on my watching him play, but he appeared to not really give a shit the last 2-3 yrs. But he sure can talk.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Yeah he barks like a big dog but that puppy dog hasn’t gotten off the porch in years.

 

[The Butcher]

I've been pretty down in Drew the last few years. I'm unsure who calls the shots in regards to his ice time, if it's promises from upper management or they actually believe he's still effective playing all those minutes at his advanced age. Regardless, he's been anything but a guy that can put the team on his back for a while now. In fact, a strong argument can be made that the Kings actually play better when he's not in the lineup. An 11 million dollar guy shouldn't have these kinds of doubts.

 

[Sol]

So we still have 2 more seasons with this bum? Great.

 

[DoktorJeep]

He’s getting extended next offseason.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Doughty needs to get serious about his own conditioning, he faded pretty hard and looked weaker as series went on. He needs to take care of his body and get serious about it if he wants to continue getting heavy minutes.

I know he’s older but 36 isnt terrible. We’ve seen Lidstrom, Chelios etc play into their early 40s. Those guys were serious about their conditioning. Chelios trained with Navy Seals, Lidstrom was a nutrition freak, always training etc.

Doughty needs to get serious about his conditioning if he wants another contract.

 

[Telos]

If AEG isn't going to do anything about Rob Blake or Luc Robitaille after the decade of mediocrity they've produced, the chances are they get rid of Doughty are probably 0%. Kopitar and Doughty both have blank checks to stay for as long as they like. This team is corrupted through and through with blanket nepotism. Only an alumni can be GM or coach, and notable alumnus can pretty much do whatever they like.

They wouldn't have to buy him out, there are definitely GM's out there that would take him. The organization wouldn't do it, but it wouldn't be as hard as we like to make it out to be.

 

[BaileyFan]

He’s getting extended next offseason.

This. The idea of anyone in this management team standing up to Drew Doughty of all people when he comes to collect his extension a year early like Kopi did is laughable.

 

[BigKing]

Far from a Doughty apologist as I've been vocal about various elements of his on-ice leadership, but he is an old player that came off a serious injury this past season, which included him missing a few games toward the end of the season as well.

None of this detracts from the conversation about gnarly ice time numbers, but it is to also say that he isn't necessarily cooked, unless the injury is something that will simply take a bite out of him at his advanced professional athlete age. Even then, he is still more than serviceable in a Top 4 role.

f***ing crazy that the team with "too many" RHD has a problem at RHD. Total f***ing circus out here.

 

[DoktorJeep]

This. The idea of anyone in this management team standing up to Drew Doughty of all people when he comes to collect his extension a year early like Kopi did is laughable.

$8M x 3 years. Book it. We’re losing Gavvy to the NYR in a couple weeks, it’s fait accompli.

 

[jgs]

If AEG isn't going to do anything about Rob Blake or Luc Robitaille after the decade of mediocrity they've produced, the chances are they get rid of Doughty are probably 0%. Kopitar and Doughty both have blank checks to stay for as long as they like. This team is corrupted through and through with blanket nepotism. Only an alumni can be GM or coach, and notable alumnus can pretty much do whatever they like.

They wouldn't have to buy him out, there are definitely GM's out there that would take him. The organization wouldn't do it, but it wouldn't be as hard as we like to make it out to be.

Well Quick won two Cups and He was way more responsible for winning those two Cup than Kopi and Drew are and they got rid of him, why should Kopi and Drew have blank checks when Quick didn't. That shows Luc and Blake don't have a clue on what they are doing.

 

[MonkeysUncle]

If AEG isn't going to do anything about Rob Blake or Luc Robitaille after the decade of mediocrity they've produced, the chances are they get rid of Doughty are probably 0%. Kopitar and Doughty both have blank checks to stay for as long as they like. This team is corrupted through and through with blanket nepotism. Only an alumni can be GM or coach, and notable alumnus can pretty much do whatever they like.

They wouldn't have to buy him out, there are definitely GM's out there that would take him. The organization wouldn't do it, but it wouldn't be as hard as we like to make it out to be.

Boy it's going to a long and depressing offseason with no changes coming in the front offic and coaching, so that means they will quadruple down on defense only philosophy and we will be in exactly same place a year from now. I really was hoping at least a new Gm or some type of hockey consultant from the outside would come in and evaluate hockey ops from top to bottom..

 

[kingsholygrail]

Doughty needs to get serious about his own conditioning, he faded pretty hard and looked weaker as series went on. He needs to take care of his body and get serious about it if he wants to continue getting heavy minutes.

I know he’s older but 36 isnt terrible. We’ve seen Lidstrom, Chelios etc play into their early 40s. Those guys were serious about their conditioning. Chelios trained with Navy Seals, Lidstrom was a nutrition freak, always training etc.

Doughty needs to get serious about his conditioning if he wants another contract.

Pretty much. He's gotta have the Dustin Brown epiphany in that it's not just the conditioning but he also has to relearn his position. Brown said he got back into good shape but it wasn't enough. He had to study the younger players to figure out what they were doing. It gave him a brief revival before he retired. If Doughty wants to hang around a while longer, he has to change his game.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Doughty needs to get serious about his own conditioning, he faded pretty hard and looked weaker as series went on. He needs to take care of his body and get serious about it if he wants to continue getting heavy minutes.

I know he’s older but 36 isnt terrible. We’ve seen Lidstrom, Chelios etc play into their early 40s. Those guys were serious about their conditioning. Chelios trained with Navy Seals, Lidstrom was a nutrition freak, always training etc.

Doughty needs to get serious about his conditioning if he wants another contract.

He has no motivation he has won everything. It’s like fighters, once they get paid and to the top of the mountain and fall off there is no hunger to make the climb. It’s ok that he got old but the lip service is what is not ok. He doesn’t justify half of his salary to be honest.

 

[BigBrown]

Doughty didn't have a good season but I'm willing to consider the possibility that the injury played a big part. And I can't blame him for his deployment, that's on the coach and the lack of options is on the GM. Ideally he'd be a #3-4 by now.

Still obviously not an $11M player and the buyout number looks pretty good. If there's a top pairing d-man available for the money saved you consider it, otherwise I say just keep him.