3 LA Kings who need to step up after Drew Doughty and Arthur Kaliyev injuries

The Los Angeles Kings have wrapped up their preseason games in Quebec and will now turn their attention to the season opener in Buffalo, but they will be without two pieces of their opening night lineup due to significant injuries.

The Kings first lost forward Arthur Kaliyev to a fractured clavicle just two days into training camp, with him now being listed as out indefinitely. Kaliyev, 23, was coming off a frustrating year under previous head coach Todd McLellan that saw him collect just 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points in 51 games, a large step back from his 28 points in 56 games just a year prior. Kaliyev re-signed with LA on a one-year deal back on September 18th and highlighted this season as a "fresh start" for himself within the organization.

Just four days after losing Kaliyev, the hearts of all Kings fans sunk as they watched Drew Doughty drop to the ice after an awkward fall during a battle with former teammate Tanner Pearson. After leaving the game and returning to LA, it was determined that Doughty suffered a fracture in his left ankle and will miss "months." Doughty underwent successful surgery on his ankle on October 4th.

With these huge losses the Kings will rely on other players to step up and take some of the workload, specifically Drew Doughty's. Here we will highlight four players who need to fill the void of the recently injured Doughty and Kaliyev.

3 Los Angeles Kings who need to step up after Drew Doughty and Arthur Kaliyev injuries

Player #1: Brandt Clarke

Kings fans spent all of last season begging for Brandt Clarke to get the opportunity to play, now he has all the chances in the world. Clarke spent the entirety of the preseason paired with new acquisition Joel Edmundson, giving the dynamic Clarke a defensively responsible partner.

Clarke also saw time quarterbacking the top powerplay unit, and while LA's powerplay did not click well in the preseason, it shows the organization's great trust in Clarke's offensive game. It is time for Brandt Clarke to finally run wild.

Player #2: Kyle Burroughs

Acquired from San Jose back in June in a one-for-one swap for Carl Grundstrom, Kyle Burroughs has now landed himself a full-time spot on LA's blueline for the foreseeable future. Burroughs aligns perfectly with the hard-to-play-against identity the Kings are trying to set, as he ranked fourth in hits in the NHL amongst defensemen last season with 233.

Burroughs logged over 19 minutes of ice time as a Shark last year, including time on the penalty kill. Expected to be paired with Vladislav Gavrikov, LA can put together a strong defense in the first pairing.

Player #3: Trevor Lewis

This one is a little different. We all know the game Trevor Lewis brings; a depth piece who can play on the penalty kill, is trusted within the Kings own defensive zone, and is great in the Kings locker room. The main concern with Lewis, is the players who he is blocking in the lineup.

With losing Arthur Kaliyev, the Kings are losing a lot of offensive firepower, especially on the powerplay. This led to many thinking Samuel Fagemo was finally in line for his first real chance in the NHL. This, however, was not the case.

Fagemo was waived alongside of training camp standout Jack Studnicka, as the veteran forward Lewis remained with the big club. Lewis has to provide the Kings with more offense out of a bottom six role and give fans a reason to cheer for him in the lineup.