Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty both had their moments on the Kings’ top defensive pair last season, but the case for who should be better in 2027 points in one direction.
Anderson’s game is built on the kind of details that win shifts. He finds the right spots, uses his stick well, and gets in passing lanes to break things up before they develop. That active style lets him do more than just defend - it also brings a physical edge.
The numbers back that up. Anderson finished last season with 111 hits, the most by any Kings defenseman. In fact, he was the only blue-liner on the team to clear 100 hits, which says plenty about how much Los Angeles leaned on him to handle opposing forwards.
The offense, though, was a different story. Anderson posted a 173 ICF, the second-lowest mark among the defensemen on the top three pairings.
If he’s going to make a bigger impact going forward, he has to get more pucks toward the net. His 61 shots on goal were his fewest since the 2022 season.
Doughty, meanwhile, was stronger on the offensive side. His 259 ICF ranked second among Kings defensemen, putting him near the top of the group in puck movement and shot generation.
But the gap narrows once the puck is actually on the stick and the play gets messy. Anderson had 53 giveaways, while Doughty finished with 82. Anderson also made more of his chances, shooting 6.6% compared with Doughty’s 5%.
So while Doughty had the better offensive volume, Anderson gave Los Angeles more in the areas that matter most across a full season: blocked shots, hits, puck control, and shooting efficiency. Add in that Doughty is 36 and coming off two struggling seasons by his standards, and the argument gets even easier.
At this point, the Kings have a pretty clear answer. Anderson looks more likely to be the better first-pair defenseman in 2027.
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