Los Angeles Kings still without defenseman Drew Doughty, no breakthrough in sight -NHL News Update
Los Angeles Kings opened up their training camp without their play making defenseman, Drew Doughty, an unrestricted free agent who is still yet to reach an agreement with his team for the next season after finishing up his three year, entry-level contract
earlier in July.
The 21-year-old defender was not present on Friday in El Segundo, California, where the team had held their physicals and fitness testing, which is a requirement before the beginning of the preseason and regular season.
According to Coach, Terry Murray, the show must go on.
"The plans do not change at all", Coach Terry Murray said Saturday. "We're going to miss Doughty. I wish he was here to be a part of it. He's a very important player, a big part of the locker room. He's a fun guy to be around. He's a great player for us
but the plan does not change for the training camp”.
Whatever the situation might be like, Drew Doughty is still willing to negotiate and the process is underway according to Doughty’s agent, Don Meehan, but terms Los Angeles as lengthening the procedure.
"We're committed to being engaged in discussions and we're more than willing to talk", Don Meehan, Doughty's agent, told the Los Angeles Times newspaper. "I think the next step is for the Kings to respond to our correspondence".
In recent reports, it was learned that Doughty had been offered various contract terms by Los Angeles management but rejected the offers due to them being lengthy in nature. The first was believed to be a seven-year deal with an average of $6.8 million annually.
Other figures range from eight to nine years as well.
Doughty on the other hand is unwilling to sign a long term deal, which gives off different signals in all directions. Him not signing gives players who make less money than the 21-year-old more reason to negotiate their contracts and creates an unpleasant
environment on the team.
For now, the situation between one of the league’s highest scoring defenseman and Los Angeles Kings does not seem to be going anywhere, anytime soon.
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