4 LA Kings under the most pressure for 2025-26 season after free agency

These are some of the LA Kings are going to need great seasons for the Kings to be successful.
Edmonton Oilers v Los Angeles Kings - Game Two
Edmonton Oilers v Los Angeles Kings - Game Two | Harry How/GettyImages
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Drew Doughty

It was a tough season all around for Drew Doughty, as it began with a broken ankle during the preseason. He would return about halfway through, but it was clear the injury lingered and impacted his performance.

Doughty finished the season with 17 points in 30 games with four points in six playoff games. The question on everyone's mind is whether the decline in performance was because of the injury or because Doughty is getting towards the end of his career and turned 35 last season.

This season will be a big test for Doughty and the Kings are going to need him to bounce back based on some of the moves they made. The departure of Gavrikov, who was their best defenseman last season, and Spence is going to be tough to replace. However, the development of Clarke and Doughty bouncing back can help fill some of the gap with their departure.