Drew Doughty wanted to be the highest paid player on the Kings roster. Throughout the summer, the organization balked at the restricted free agent’s demands. Out of desperation, the Kings blinked first, giving Doughty an eight-year, $56 million contract ($7 million AAV) on Thursday night. The still-progressing blue-liner is going to have to prove, over time, that he is worth that much.
This whole situation was puzzling. Both sides wanted a long-term deal and were fairly close on money. The difference was that Doughty wanted to be the highest paid player in L.A., a distinction previously held by Anze Kopitar and his $6.8 million cap hit. Both sides let this negotiation drag on until one week before they open the season in Sweden, thus becoming the buzz surrounding the team for the last two weeks. Given the result, this could have been done weeks ago... but I digress.
With the $7 million Doughty will rake in each year, the question will come up as to whether he is an elite defenseman or not. You can understand the argument from both sides.
Obviously, he has the potential to become an elite defenseman. We’re talking about a player that was (a) drafted second overall in 2008 and (b) a Norris Trophy finalist at 20 years old. Doughty is also a key cornerstone of the Kings’ future, hence the desperation GM Dean Lombardi showed by meeting the defenseman’s demands. (Another thing to remember is that Doughty saw his friend and draft class ‘mate Steven Stamkos, as well as Team Canada teammate Shea Weber, get paid big money this off-season. Naturally, given his talents/potential, Doughty would want a similar contract.)
Contrarily, it’s a risky proposition to give a 21-year-old blue-liner – coming off a down year (40 points in 76 games, a 19-point drop-off from 2009-10) by his standards, no less – the third-highest cap hit at his position; or, the type of money that Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith and Shea Weber have received in recent years. Doughty is a franchise defenseman in the making, but still has some developing to do and has to show more consistency to be worth Chara-like, Keith-like, or Weber-like money.
In short, the Kings overpaid (at this point in time) to get their top defenseman under contract for the long haul. They are paying for Doughty’s potential, not last year’s up-and-down campaign. Over time, if Doughty progresses like he should, he’ll certainly be worth the $7 million per year that he asked for and received.
Doughty’s contract stalemate, given his bold demands, turned some Kings fans the wrong way. Now everyone in L.A. can shift their focus to the on-ice action. The $56 million man will play a key role in the Kings’ pursuit of the Stanley Cup this season.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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5 comments:
I disagree completely. The Kings did not overpay! Doughty has more of an upside that almost anybody in the league. I don't think LA would complain if the get between 40 - 60 points every year for the term of the contract. In addition, he will get multiple or his trophies in his time. Possibly multiple cups.
Another example of how poor the writing is on this blog.
How exactly is Drew Doughty not worth Shea Weber money?
You're hardly the only blogger who seems to be under the impression that in some way Weber has shown himself to be better and more consistent than Doughty. Since no one has bothered to back up these claims with facts, let's compare the two, shall we?
Shea Weber has been in the NHL 6 seasons. In that time he has played 402 games and accumulated 80 goals, 134 assists, and 214 points. His career plus/minus is 23. His best season in terms of points was his 4th (2008-09) when he had 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points, all career highs except assists which he toppedl ast year with 32). His career trajectory in terms of points, ignoring his first season in which he played only 28 games, has been 40, 20, 53, 43, 48.
Now, Drew Doughty. In 3 seasons he has played 239 games, in which he has scored 33 goals, 93 assists, 126 points, with a career plus/minus of 16. His season point totals have gone from 27 to 59 and then 40 (in a season in which he was sidelined 6 games with a concussion). In other words, his best season was considerably better than Weber's and his supposed "down year" in which he had a concussion was still about on par with Weber's good seasons.
Both have been finalists for the Norris Trophy once. Neither has won. Both won gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
And Doughty still has room to grow whereas with Weber what you see is pretty much what you get at this point. The Kings did not overpay for Doughty. The Predators will be massively overpaying for Weber.
There stats are pretty much a wash, Weber has put up 53, 43, and 48pts. Doughty 27, 59, and 40. In my book that is equal. If I was looking at this contract i would look at what you get for your money:
Weber 6'4 230lbs D-man that is never over matched. He has been the center piece of getting an equal if not lesser Preds team to 24 playoff games in the last 3yrs. w/ a +2 over the last 3yrs.
Doughty 6'0 200lbs skating D-man that has trouble w/larger center i.e. Thorton. only 12 playoff games in the last 3yrs w/-5 rating. It would have been a -9 but he had one 4pt game in the playoffs last year. He is often exploited in the playoffs when it counts!
Now I am a Doughty fan, I have a jersey for God sake, but he is not at Webers level yet. But I don't think the Kings overpaid they locked him up for 8yrs, I would NEVER pay him 7MM a yr for 5yrs he originally wanted. I thinkneach side did well.
The thing you people are forgetting when comparing Doughty and Weber, Nashville didn't want to pay that much, he was awarded 7Mill by an arbitration panel, so yes I do believe Doughty is overpaid, as well as Weber.
Not to mention if Doughty is already getting 7 mill a year as a very very young D-Man, if he has the same average stats when contract is done, with possibly a Norris award or 2 and maybe even a Stanley cup to his resume, how much is he worth a year when this contract is over? 10 mill? come on now, I don't care how great D-men are, no D-men in this version of the NHL should be worth 10 mill a year.
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