The Los Angeles Kings put star defenseman Drew Doughty on injured reserve Monday while he recovers from an apparent concussion.
The Norris Trophy finalist will miss his third straight game Monday night at Minnesota. Although Doughty would be eligible to play Thursday in Dallas, the Kings don't expect him back before Saturday, when they return from a five-game road trip to host New Jersey.
The Kings also recalled defenseman Jake Muzzin from the minors. Muzzin began the season with Los Angeles, but went down to Los Angeles' AHL affiliate in Manchester on Saturday when Matt Greene returned from offseason shoulder surgery.
The 20-year-old Doughty was hurt last Wednesday on a hit by Carolina's Erik Cole, who ran into him in the neutral zone well after Doughty passed the puck. The NHL declined to penalize Cole for the hit, ruling it occurred during normal play.
Doughty, who has one assist in five games this season, stayed behind in Los Angeles when the Kings left on their road trip last week. He skated at their training complex and had several tests of his symptoms, but still hasn't been cleared to play.
Doughty had 16 goals and 43 assists last season, blossoming into an elite defenseman in just his second NHL season. He became the second-youngest nominee for the Norris Trophy in NHL history, only older than 19-year-old Bobby Orr in 1967.
The second overall pick in the 2008 draft also won a gold medal last February at the Vancouver Olympics as the youngest player on Canada's roster.
