Drew Doughty is changing something off the ice before any new deal is done with the Los Angeles Kings: he now has an agent.
Per PuckPedia, Doughty has hired Pat Brisson of CAA Sports to handle any extension talks, or a possible run at unrestricted free agency. It’s the first time he’s had representation since the early 2010’s.
That earlier stretch included two major contracts with the Kings. After his entry-level deal expired, Mark Guy of Newport Sports negotiated an eight-year, $56MM contract with an annual average value of $7MM. Then, heading into the 2018-19 season - the final year of that agreement - Doughty handled the next round himself and landed his current eight-year, $88MM extension with an $11MM AAV.
Doughty is no longer the Norris Trophy defenseman he once was, but the expectation is still that he’ll stay in Los Angeles until he retires. If the next contract is shorter, Brisson will be the one working to keep him in black and silver through the end of his career.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division, the Edmonton Oilers were without Jake Walman for their game against the San Jose Sharks because of a lower-body injury. The team announced the setback before puck drop, and Edmonton may hold him out until its road trip is over. Head coach Mike Babcock said he is “fine.”
In Calgary, Samuel Honzek remains under evaluation for an undisclosed injury and will sit out the Flames’ game against the Anaheim Ducks, according to Pat Steinberg of Flames Now. The injury details are still limited, though it likely happened Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. Honzek, a former first-round pick, has gone scoreless in four games this season and carries a minus-4 rating.
In Other News...
Oilers Start Is Raising One Big Lineup Question
The Oilers kept their strong start rolling with a win over the Sharks, moving to 4-0-1 and giving their early-season lineup decisions a little more weight. With Zach Hyman nearing a return, Edmonton is getting close to having another important forward back in the mix, which always changes the conversation around ice time, line combinations and who gets squeezed when everyone is healthy.
One player who may have helped his case is rookie Owen Michaels, who saw a larger role and made the most of his night in the faceoff circle. For a team trying to balance momentum with the realities of a crowded roster, those are the kinds of small developments that can turn into a much bigger question before long. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Unbeaten Start Faces Its Biggest Test With Goaltending Under Pressure
Edmontons unbeaten start has given the club a little early breathing room, but the schedule is about to ask for a lot more. Fresh off wins over the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, the Oilers are the NHLs lone team without a regulation loss, a status that says as much about their resilience as it does about how quickly the season can turn once the games tighten up.
The next stretch is a real measuring stick, with a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings followed by a home-and-home series with the Utah Mammoth. As the games get tougher, the focus inside the room has turned to goaltending, where the Oilers know they will need cleaner stops if they want this fast start to mean something deeper than a nice opening run. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Face A Tough Call On A Possible Flyers Deal
Philadelphias slow start has only added fuel to the trade chatter, and around the league it has naturally pushed the Flyers into the conversation as a possible source of help for Edmonton. The Oilers are always watching for ways to improve, but this is one of those situations where the idea is easier to float than to execute, especially with the club already having to account for the cap and the pieces it would take to make a move work.
For Edmonton, the appeal is obvious enough: a winger from a struggling roster can look like a fit on paper when a contender is looking for an upgrade. But the Oilers also have to balance urgency against timing, because roster decisions do not happen in a vacuum, and any serious trade discussion would have to clear more than one hurdle before it ever became real. [Read more 🡒]