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 acknowledged 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 all the time been fairly near that Los Angeles state of affairs. Are you able to provide up a very good opinion right here on how the Kings go ahead with out Drew Doughty, presumably for a few months?
So it appears like, and I believe that is the correct technique to go about it, at the least in the intervening time, that they’re going to attempt to backfill internally in attempting to switch all of the minutes and duty he takes on, even into the latter levels of his profession. So whether or not it’s Jordan Spence or Brandt Clarke. What do you concentrate on the Kings, at the least, having 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 assume, Drew’s not going to be out for the total 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 realize when the mindset, the planning levels have been in place, they introduced in Joel Edmondson. They wished him to be the anchor on a pair with Brandt Clarke, enable Clarke to do his factor offensively. And at the least, you’ve acquired a man who’s huge, bodily and may maintain his personal, he can maintain his personal within the zone, there’s going to be a possibility for grant Clarke, and as you stated, Jordan Spence they usually initially began Kyle Burroughs subsequent to Mikey Anderson on the highest there to see if they will, at the least, form of maintain the fort.
You’re not going to switch a Drew Doughty. No workforce shouldn’t be 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 strong sufficient tempo of play, however you possibly can 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 distinct kind of state of affairs versus shedding one in all their top-tier guys. You already know, it’s a trickier state of affairs. This workforce has a good quantity of depth up entrance, however on the again finish, how will they replicate any kind of tempo of play that Drew Doughty can carry?
Nicely, you possibly can’t. So, are you able to modify your sport just a little bit, and may a few of their guys step up to be able to present not solely a two-way model, but additionally form of give attention to the offense, and, you realize, taking a look at a number of the offense that they misplaced and taking into consideration what Drew can do in the event you can form of replicate a few of that offense within the first third of the season, they need to be in fine condition by way of playoff competition, however plenty of it’s going to rely upon a few of their youthful guys.
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Such as you stated 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 wish a number of guys on the Kings workforce to step up with out Doughty the lineup. They really feel they’ve acquired sufficient depth to do it, they usually’ve acquired a tiny little bit of cap area.
What they notice that, you realize, the primary month that they’re not capable of do one thing, they will discover and check out to usher in 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 form of exploring the fourth line middle place.
They have been form of trying to see if they will fill that void internally. It seems to be like they’re going to ultimately look exterior the membership to attempt to tackle that want afterward within the season.”
