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Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty had to leave Wednesday's preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury. It went down midway through the first period when he got tangled up with Golden Knights forward Tanner Pearson right by the blue line.
Doughty finished his check, but things went south when his left foot awkwardly hit the boards. He was in pain, holding his left leg, unable to put any weight at it as he lay there. The trainers helped him off, and he headed straight to the locker room.
The plan is to get back to Los Angeles and have the Kings' medical team look at it again per Coach Jim Hiller. We won't know anything until Thursday Or Friday.
Last season, Doughty racked up 15 goals, 50 points and averaged 26 minutes of ice time across all 82 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he had two goals in the Kings five game series loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for the third straight year.
He has played 16 seasons in the NHL, with 156 goals and 513 assists for 669 points, nearly 1,200 regular-season games. He's also a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a four-time All-Star and won the Norris Trophy back in 2015-16.
If this is serious, it could create a golden opportunity for Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence. With Doughty out, they'd get a chance to step up and shine in the lineup. Let's hope this injury isn't too serious because the Kings need Doughty back in action for another shot at the Cup!
UPDATE
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