Drew Doughty signed his eight-year contract nearly seven months ago, forgoing much of a preseason in the successful pursuit of financial gain not often experienced by then 21-year-olds approaching season No. 4 in the NHL.
Despite the growing pains associated with a young, developing player who missed training camp and suffered a shoulder injury less than two weeks into the season, and despite his seemingly tentative shot-deferring tendencies on the power play, Doughty's improvement defensively and innate decision-making with and without the puck indicate the breakthrough strides he has made in his own end of the ice this season.
A hockey season is long enough for the detractors who pointed to Doughty's forgettable first half to shift their attention elsewhere. In the 28 games prior to Darryl Sutter's arrival in Los Angeles, Doughty's 2 goals, 10 points and minus-six rating were representative of a young player who missed training camp, not of someone with a skill set that warrants a $56-million dollar contract extension.
In the 49 games that followed, Doughty's 8 goals, 26 points and plus-four rating were closer to his offensive capabilities but still off his career marks and eventually led to a declining point total for the second consecutive year.
Whatever marks Doughty did or didn't hit, he's shown more comfort and poise deep in his own zone this season and with a game that stretches beyond the expectations of an offensive defenseman.
"I think he's going to develop into a top defenseman," Sutter said of Doughty. "He plays a lot of minutes for a young guy. You don't just instantly become a great player or a top player. It's going to be experience, it's going to be how he handles it all. He's done a good job so far in the playoffs."
The experience mentioned by Sutter is a building block of the team's fortunes that Doughty hopes will lift them to a Game 5 win Sunday (5 p.m. / FOX Sports West), which would mark Los Angeles' first appearance in the second round since a seven-game loss to Colorado in 2001. The Kings lead the best-of-seven series three games to one.
"Having a few games in playoffs for the last two years definitely helps a lot," Doughty said. "I feel like when we go out there every night, if we got up by a few goals in the past, we sat back and were maybe a little nervous to let them get back in the game, and that's why we allowed them to get back in it. This year, when we get up a few, we keep giving it to them, keep digging in, and that's why we're winning."
It's clear that Doughty has contributed the strongest minutes of his 2011-12 season under Sutter, who pointed to the young defenseman's ongoing definition of himself as an NHL player as something that will continue to evolve.
"You've got to learn it. You don't just learn it in half a season or in two or three years. That's a big package," Sutter said.
"There are guys that are good offensively, good defensively. There are guys that are good penalty killers, good power-play guys, There are guys that are good against certain players and not against top players. Until that all is managed and manifested at once, that's how they learn. I don't know anyone who steps in and does that. Drew Doughty is an awesome kid and he's a very coachable kid."
He may be a kid now, but he'll be a peaking 29-year old veteran by the time his contract expires. With Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, he's one of three Kings whose contracts extend through at least the 2018-19 season — three presidential elections will have taken place by the time Carter's contract expires in 2022 — and with the contract that appears to be the most palatable considering the growth and direction he's shown in his preview under Sutter.
"I feel since Darryl's been here we've been creating some more turnovers and getting some more quick break chances," Doughty said. "But I think the majority is just guys building confidence, guys putting some more pucks in the net."
He also fielded a request last week from his coach, whose Viking, Alberta homestead could certainly benefit from Doughty's status as a spokesman for Bridgestone Tires. Sutter took notice when he saw his star defenseman help promote snow tires that perform well on ice in a commercial shown during the playoffs.
"The first time I saw it, I told him I needed tires for my tractor," Sutter said.
