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Drew Doughty finally has a contract with the Los Angeles Kings. The defenseman, now the third-highest paid in the NHL, will be in town for eight years.
Drew Doughty does not have a contract with the Los Angeles Kings, and as training camp begins Friday, it appears more and more likely that the defenseman will not be joining his teammates on the ice.
There have been reports that Doughty has turned down an offer from the Kings, but general manager Dean Lombardi told the Los Angeles Times that there's still much to be worked out between the club and Doughty's camp, led by agent Don Meehan.
"You can figure out the problem. It's how much and length," [Lombardi] said. "That's the two issues. ... There's a couple of variables."
He said they haven't discussed no-trade or no-move clauses. He also said he might speak to Doughty directly to convey his commitment to winning and willingness to pay Doughty fairly.
The Kings will hit the ice Saturday, although they're arriving at camp Friday for physicals and off-ice evaluations. Doughty isn't there, and the more this drags out, the more worried Kings fans should be. For more from those fans, check in with SB Nation's Jewels From The Crown.
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings Agree To Eight-Year Contract
Training camp? Who needs training camp? Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings certainly do not, as just a week before the regular season begins, general manager Dean Lombardi ended his summer-long nightmare by agreeing to an eight-year deal with the team.
According to TSN, the deal is worth $7 million per season, totaling at $56 million over the course of the term. The deal makes Doughty the third-highest paid defenseman in the NHL, and it pushes the $6.8 million limit Lombardi had originally placed on the negotations. That's the same salary earned by the Anze Kopitar, formerly the Kings highest-paid player.
That's what a nasty, PR nightmare of a standoff between a star player and management will do. Somebody had to budge. Doughty wouldn't accept an offer of that $6.8 million earlier in the summer, and now he's the Kings highest paid player. Lombardi budged, but nobody seems to be complaining this evening.
Coach Terry Murray is just looking forward to getting Doughty back on the ice. Via LA Kings Insider:
The Kings begin the 2011-12 season next Friday, October 7 in Stockholm against the New York Rangers.
Sep 30 12:36a by Travis Hughes - 0 comments