Drew Doughty Has High Expectations For The Los Angeles Kings This Season

Drew Doughty stated in an interview yesterday that he expects that the Los Angeles Kings will make the playoffs this season. During the 2021 season, they sported a 21-28-7 record and were 14 points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final playoff spot in the West Division.

“I expect us to make the playoffs”
- LAK Drew Doughty. pic.twitter.com/GUm1NA3Zau
— Dennis Bernstein (@DennisTFP) September 23, 2021

A lot of hockey fans may immediately disagree with Doughty's statement, especially with how the Kings performed last season. However, they did have themselves a good off-season. They signed Phillip Danault and Alex Edler during free agency, while also trading for top-six winger Viktor Arvidsson. Furthermore, they have plenty of young players, such as Quinton Byfield and Gabriel Vilardi, who should be able to show noticeable signs of improvement this go-around.

The Pacific Division also does not look the strongest on paper, so maybe LA could end up competing in it. With core players like Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown getting older, them returning to the postseason would be nice to see.

Do you agree with Doughty and expect that the Kings will claw their way into the playoffs this season? Let us know in the comments!