Evening Notes: Cirelli, Doughty, Merzlikins
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli sustained an undisclosed injury in tonight’s win over San Jose, and after the game, Head Coach Jon Cooper had no further updates, as reported by Eduardo A. Encina of The Tampa Bay Times. Cooper went on to say “we’ll see tomorrow”, but avoided more details.
Despite just one shift in the entire third period, Cirelli still recorded 13:22 of ice time, indicative of the extent of which the team has had to lean on him during Brayden Point’s absence. Impressively, the wins keep coming for the Bolts, thin not only down the middle but also on the blueline. They’ve vaulted themselves into second place in the league after tremendous play, including a franchise best-tying 11-game winning streak recently.
Tampa Bay is back at it on Friday in Chicago, and Cirelli’s status until then will be closely watched. The 28-year-old has 30 points in 44 games this season, and with a center group which is missing their #1 in Point, the Lightning have had to rely on Dominic James as a 2C, a 23-year-old in his first professional season. Already down Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh along with Point, losing Cirelli for any considerable time would be another major hurdle.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Ahead of their game against the Rangers, the Los Angeles Kings announced that Drew Doughty would not play due to illness. The stalwart had appeared in 41 of the team’s 48 games prior to tonight, and will need just two more to hit the 1,250 mark, all with his original club. With the game faster than ever, naturally it has not come so easy for Doughty, who turned 36 in December. The veteran continues to play heavy minutes, as his 22:51 average is good for most on the team, but he has just 13 points in 41 games, production not seen since his rookie campaign in 2008-09. Doughty was activated from injured reserve in early December from a leg/foot injury, and is still working to find his stride. He will look to return by Saturday against the Blues, but as for tonight, depth lefty Jacob Moverare has slotted in on the third pairing.
- Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins left tonight’s game after the first period due to illness, per the team, and did not return. The 31-year-old had allowed two goals on seven shots, leaving Jet Greaves to take over in a 2-1 game. The Jackets ended up losing 4-1 to Ottawa. Now in his seventh year with Columbus, Merzlikins has lost the crease to Greaves full time this season, as he continues to struggle to find consistency. The Latvia native has an .882 save percentage along with a 3.81 goals-against-average so far on the year, with an 8-8-1 record. Unfortunately, such numbers are more of the same over his last few seasons. Merzlikins will look to be healthy again by Thursday, as the group hosts Dallas.
Kings To Activate Drew Doughty From Injured Reserve
3:15 p.m.: The Kings have now officially announced that they have activated Doughty off of injured reserve.
12:56 p.m.: Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty is going to be activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Blackhawks, according to Zach Dooley of NHL.com. Los Angeles has an open roster spot, so no corresponding transaction is required.
The contest will mark Doughty’s first performance since sustaining an apparent left leg/foot injury while blocking a shot against the Senators on Nov. 15. There was initial fear that his injury was related to the left ankle fracture that sidelined him for the first few months of the 2024-25 campaign. However, the team quickly confirmed there was no connection and that he only carried a week-to-week designation, unlike the month-to-month one his previous ankle injury carried.
Shortly thereafter, general manager Ken Holland told reporters he only expected Doughty to miss two to three weeks. Today’s game is the first in that return window, so his comeback is right on schedule.
Doughty returned to practice on Thanksgiving, so he’s been skating for at least a week. Doughty said his “cardio is where it needs to be,” according to Dooley, so the injury was minor enough not to significantly interrupt his conditioning. Doughty added he didn’t sustain any sort of fracture in his foot (via Eric Stephens of The Athletic).
The five-time All-Star and 2016 Norris Trophy winner wasn’t off to a great start before exiting the lineup. His 2-6–8 scoring line in 19 appearances worked out to 0.42 points per game, his lowest pace since his rookie season. His 22:33 average time on ice is also the lowest mark of his 18-year career, although that figure is dragged down somewhat by his early departure from the Ottawa game.
Part of that reduction has come via a decrease in shorthanded deployment. The team’s offseason signings of Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci pushed Doughty out of a spot on L.A.’s top two penalty kill units.
He’s also received a greater challenge for the No. 1 power play quarterback job from young righty Brandt Clarke, who leads the Kings’ defense in scoring with three goals, nine assists, and 12 points in 26 games. Doughty did not record a point on the man advantage before his injury, with seven of his eight points coming at even strength and the other coming shorthanded.
However, Doughty’s 5-on-5 game remains among the best the Kings have to offer on the back end. Among L.A.’s six regular defenders, he ranks second behind Clarke in Corsi share (55.7%), shot share (55.1%), and expected goal share (53.9%). He tops Clarke with a 53.5% control of high-danger chances. That’s with Doughty having only the third-highest rate of offensive zone starts among Kings defenders at 56.5%.
Doughty will presumably return to his regular top-pairing role on the right side along Mikey Anderson. Lefty Joel Edmundson had filled in there on his off side for the past several games, but will now return to a more comfortable job on the second or third pairing on the left side. Jacob Moverare, who only played once this season before Doughty’s injury, will return to a press-box role.
Drew Doughty Returns To, Warren Foegele Leaves Kings’ Practice
Thursday’s practice left the Los Angeles Kings with positives and negatives on the injury front. Star defenseman Drew Doughty return to the ice with individual drills, but isn’t expected back soon, while winger Warren Foegele left practice early with an injury per team reporter Zach Dooley. No update has been provided on Foegele’s injury.
Doughty has missed the last four games with a week-to-week, lower-body injury sustained on a blocked shot in Los Angeles’ November 15th matchup versus the Otttawa Senators. He had returned to his role as Los Angeles’ top defender before going down with injury. Doughty averaged a team-leading 22:33 in ice time through 19 games before going down with injury. He rewarded that top role with eight points, a plus-seven, and 30 blocked shots. The Kings haev been pushed to ice Joel Edmundson, on his off-hand, in a top-pair role with Doughty out of the lineup. That will make this injury update well-anticipated, even if Doughty still has a step to go until he’s back in full.
Meanwhile, Foegele’s absence could leave a glaring hole in the team’s bottom-six. Foegele has four goals, 18 hits, and 22 shots on goal in 18 games this season. He missed a few games with a right-shoulder injury in October, but returned with force on November 9th. He scored two goals in his first three games back, then spurred a four-game scoring drought with a goal in Los Angeles’ Monday matchup versus Ottawa.
The Kings will need to turn towards either Alex Turcotte or Jeff Malott, should Foegele be forced out of the lineup. Turcotte has recorded three assists, a minus-four, and 11 penalty minutes in 22 games this season. He sat out of Los Angeles’ most recent matchup, but could find a quick path back with Foegele’s absence. Malott would bring a much more enforcing style, already boasting two goals and 23 penalty minutes in 16 games this season. He stands at 6-foot-5, 208-pounds and offers a heap of grit, in comparison to Turcotte’s skill.
Kings Reassign Pheonix Copley To AHL
Friday: As expected, Copley has been returned to the minors, per a team announcement.
Thursday: The Kings have recalled goaltender Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor reports. He will back up Anton Forsberg on Thursday night in San Jose. It wasn’t a scheduled start for No. 1 option Darcy Kuemper, and he’ll now get the night off entirely by not having to make the jaunt up to the Bay Area. Defenseman Drew Doughty was moved to injured reserve to open a roster spot, the team announced.
Tonight is the first half of a back-to-back for the Kings. Kuemper will start tomorrow as they return home to face the Bruins. The Kings could either leave Copley on the roster for Friday’s game as well to give Forsberg the night off or have Forsberg dress as Kuemper’s backup as usual while returning Copley to the minors.
If Copley enters tonight’s game in relief of Forsberg, it will be his first NHL action in over a year. The Kings’ third-stringer was claimed off waivers by the Lightning during the preseason, but he was traded back to them in exchange for future considerations after not suiting up for the Bolts. He then cleared waivers once back with Los Angeles. That short stint on Tampa’s roster aside, Copley is now in his fourth consecutive season in the Kings organization. He had an extended stint as a tandem option in the 2022-23 season, making a career-high 35 starts, but has been relegated to a No. 3 role since then, with nine total appearances over the last three years.
The 33-year-old Alaska native has played seven games for Ontario since being reclaimed off waivers. He’s struggled to the tune of a 3.84 GAA and .870 SV% with a 2-5-0 record. Since he’s not being summoned to play, his performance isn’t of much concern. He’s been significantly outpaced by 25-year-old prospect Erik Portillo, who’s rebounding nicely after a rough AHL showing last year with a .915 SV%, 2.26 GAA, and 5-1-1 record in nine games. If either Kuemper or Forsberg were to miss any significant time, he would likely be the recall option over Copley at this stage.
As for Doughty, his move to IR is purely procedural. General manager Ken Holland said yesterday he’s set to miss another two to three weeks with his lower-body injury.
Kings Notes: Kempe, Doughty, Copley
Kings forward Adrian Kempe recently took himself off next summer’s free agent market by signing an eight-year, $85MM contract extension. Speaking with HockeySverige’s Martin Jansson, he acknowledged he likely left some money on the table considering how quickly the UFA class is drying up. He also indicated that he lowered his salary request which appears to be what pushed this deal across the finish line. Kempe is in his tenth NHL season, all spent with Los Angeles. He’s off to a strong start with 19 points in his first 20 games, a point-per-game pace that would be the second-best of his career. If that holds over the full season, the beginning of the deal could wind up being team-friendly, though there is some risk in the final few years given that he’ll be in his age-30 season when the contract begins.
More from Los Angeles:
- While defenseman Drew Doughty’s injury timeline carries a week-to-week designation, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be out too long. GM Ken Holland told reporters including John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor (Twitter link) that the veteran, who has been placed on injured reserve, will miss two to three weeks. The 35-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury and had been off to a solid start to his season with eight points in 19 games while logging a team-high 22:33 per night, the only Kings player averaging more than 20 minutes per night.
- With Doughty on IR, there is a roster spot available but that won’t be the case for long. Holland acknowledged that the Kings will be recalling goaltender Pheonix Copley from AHL Ontario for tomorrow’s game against San Jose. He isn’t being brought up due to an injury though. Instead, he’s being promoted to give Darcy Kuemper a full day of rest before he gets the nod on Friday. Copley has had a tough start to his campaign with the Reign, posting a 3.84 GAA along with a .870 SV% in his first seven appearances.
Drew Doughty Expected To Miss Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
11/17: The Kings have confirmed that Doughty is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury per the team’s Manager of Editorial Content Zach Dooley. No details were provided on the injury, though they did clarify that it is unrelated to the ankle injury he sustained last season. Hopefully that will help him recover quickly, with a winning Kings season and Winter Olympics both at stake.
11/16: The Los Angeles Kings could be in store for a major absence. Veteran defender and alternate captain Drew Doughty was seen in a walking boot after Saturday night’s match against the Ottawa Senators, after leaving the game in the second period following a blocked shot. He appeared in pain right away, and gingerly returned to the Kings’ bench without putting weight on his left foot. The team expects to know more about his injury alter today, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He is expected to be out week-to-week, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
Doughty only played through 11 minutes of ice time before exiting the game. He has been heavily leaned on over Los Angeles’ recent stretch, averaging more than 22 minutes of ice time over his last five games. He’s rewarded that usage with four points, eight blocked shots, and two hits. Those numbers brought Doughty up to eight points, 30 blocks, and 11 hits in 18 games entering Saturday night.
An extended absence would be dismal news for the 36-year-old Doughty. He fractured his left ankle in a preseason game in September 2024 on an awkward hit from Tanner Pearson. The injury required surgery, sticking Doughty with a month-to-month injury designation. He didn’t return until January, and only managed 17 points in 30 games before Los Angeles’ season ended. Doughty’s health has fluctuated wildly over the second-half of his career. He enjoyed an ironman streak from 2014 to 2019, but missed 15 games in 2019-20 and 43 games in 2021-22. He returned to good health, only missing one game between 2022 and 2024, until injury derailed him last season.
Doughty was named to Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in August. He was one of 42 skaters, and 13 defenders, named to the squad – putting him under a microscope for the rest of the year. This season will likely mark Doughty’s final chance to stand as an Olympian. He has already won two Olympic Gold medals, while posting eight points in 13 games. Doughty also represented Canada at the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off, where he scored one point in four games.
Pacific Notes: McTavish, Doughty, Giles
While both the Ducks and unsigned center Mason McTavish are believed to want a long-term deal, it appears they have very different opinions as to what that deal would cost. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that McTavish’s camp is opening to signing a seven or eight-year deal in the $7MM to $8MM range, a contract that would make the 22-year-old their highest-paid forward. However, Anaheim’s preference appears to be a five-year pact around $5.5MM per year. Curiously, that would only buy the team one extra year of club control but the price tag would make it a team-friendly contract right away while allowing veteran Troy Terry to remain their top-paid attacker. Clearly, the two sides still have a long way to go to bridge the gap.
More from the Pacific Division:
- Kings defenseman Drew Doughty missed most of last season after undergoing ankle surgery but returned in late January and was a regular from there. However, Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider notes that the veteran underwent a second surgery on the ankle after the playoffs, one that kept him sidelined for eight weeks. Doughty feels the second procedure will allow him to feel more like he did a couple of years ago and given how much Los Angeles relies on him, a healthier version of himself would give their back end a nice boost to start the season.
- Sharks winger Patrick Giles recently underwent surgery on a lower-body injury and is at least a couple of weeks away from returning to the ice, relays Sharks Hockey Digest’s Max Miller (Twitter link). The 25-year-old split last season between Florida and San Jose, getting into 17 NHL contests combined between the two teams where he had a goal and 11 shots in a little over nine minutes a night of playing time. If Giles isn’t healthy to start the season, the Sharks can place him on season-opening IR and have a reduced cap hit relative to the number of days he spent on an NHL roster in 2024-25.
Kings Injury Notes: Turcotte, Doughty
Forward Alex Turcotte skated at practice today for the Los Angeles Kings in a non-contact jersey, per team reporter Zach Dooley. Dooley also noted that he heard that Turcotte skated with the team’s healthy scratches prior to yesterday’s game against the Oilers.
Turcotte, 24, has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury he sustained against the Boston Bruins on March 23. This represents the second multi-game injury for Turcotte on the season, as he was placed on the IR in November with an upper-body injury. All told, the spark plug center has appeared in 64 games on the season and has registered eight goals and 23 points in a bottom-six role. A high pedigree draft choice (fifth overall in the 2019 draft), Turcotte is enjoying his first full season in the NHL this year. Last season, he recorded 29 points in 35 games at the AHL-level, while also appearing in 20 contests for the Kings, where we put up one goal and three assists. While the organization would no doubt benefit from his continued offensive development, he has formed a formidable depth line with wingers Tanner Jeannot and Samuel Helenius, although as Dooley points out, Jeannot remains out with his own injury. While Head Coach Jim Hiller noted Turcotte’s return to practice as a positive step in his recovery, he did caution patience in the young forward’s return.
Dooley added that veteran defenseman Drew Doughty did not practice today after not playing the final 7:46 of yesterday’s win against the Oilers. While his status will be something to monitor, Hiller did not seem overly negative about Doughty’s availability moving forward, calling the decision to sit Doughtry “precautionary.” He added that Doughty’s may not return to 100 percent health the rest of this season and that the club will look to support Doughty by way of managing his schedule and ice time. On the season, Doughty has appeared in just 28 games. But when healthy (or healthy enough to suit up), the vet has still produced offensively to the tune of four goals and 19 points. Doughty has spent his entire 17-year career with the Kings, registering 160 goals, 526 assists, and 686 points in 1,205 career games. He is third in franchise history in games played, but first amongst defensemen. He’s added 57 points in 95 career playoff games and has hoisted the Stanley Cup on two separate occasions. He and longtime teammate Anze Kopitar will look for a third cup run as the team recently clinched their spot in the playoffs.
Pacific Notes: Moore, Wennberg, Lombardi
The Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, today signed defenseman Ian Moore to an amateur tryout, per a team announcement. Moore spent four seasons playing collegiately at Harvard University. At the ivy-league school, Moore put up 56 points in 122 games and the 6’3, 200-pound defender was named team captain the last two seasons. He was drafted by the Ducks in the third round of the 2020 draft. With his college career over, Moore immediately becomes one of the franchise’s top defensive prospects, along with Tarin Smith, who has scored 58 points in 63 WHL games this season, and Tristan Luneau, who has scored 42 points in 46 AHL games.
More from the Pacific:
- San Jose Sharks’ veteran forward Alexander Wennberg is a game-time decision for tomorrow’s game, per Bay Area News Group’s Curtis Pashelka. Pashelka goes on to note that there is optimism he will be able to suit up. In 64 games this season, the 30-year-old Wennberg has put up 31 points. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky added that the injury is something Wennberg has been dealing with for some time. Wennberg had been serving in a bottom-six role until the trade of Mikael Granlund to the Stars in February. Wennberg has since been serving as the team’s second-line center. He has one year remaining on his two year, $10MM AAV contract he signed last July.
- On Monday, the Los Angeles Kings honored former president and GM Dean Lombardi, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. After his first stint as a general manager fizzled out with the Sharks, Lombardi oversaw tremendous success in his time in LA, which resulted in two Stanley Cup winning teams. Lombardi saw success in developing draft picks (perhaps most notably with Drew Doughty) but also made aggressive trades for veterans like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Since being let go by the team in 2017, Lombardi has served as an executive with the Flyers. During Monday’s celebration, as Friedman notes, Lombardi took time to state that he believes the game is getting too expensive for some children to play. He called it a “grassroots problem” that excludes some athletes from being able to pick up the game.
Drew Doughty Named To Team Canada For 4 Nations Face-Off
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has officially been named to Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off (Twitter Link). The veteran defenseman will serve as the injury replacement for Vegas Golden Knights defender Alex Pietrangelo, who opted to withdraw from the tournament.
The 35-year-old has had a decorated international career, winning two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, and is also a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Kings having won titles in 2012 and 2014.
Doughty himself just returned from injury a few weeks ago after he suffered a broken left ankle in an exhibition game back in September. He missed 47 games due to the injury and was expected to miss most of the regular season. However, he returned to practice in mid-January ahead of schedule before returning to game action in late January. The injury likely kept Doughty’s name off the initial roster for Team Canada, but with Pietrangelo not playing Doughty will have an opportunity to add to his career accomplishments.
Since returning to the lineup, Doughty has suited up in six games for the Kings, posting a single assist, nine blocked shots and seven hits. While those numbers aren’t in line with his typical production, Doughty has slowly ramped up his play after struggling in his first two games back. Doughty was -4 in the two games after his return but has settled in the last three games, posting the nine blocked shots and a +3 plus/minus.
The Kings have leaned heavily on Doughty thus far as he has averaged 26:57 of ice time per game, including 31:09 in last night’s shootout loss to Anaheim.