Happy Wednesday, Insiders!
Lots going on during today’s LA Kings practice.
The LA Kings welcomed defenseman Drew Doughty back to the ice this afternoon for practice at Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo. Doughty has been skating on his own for some time now and he immediately returned in a full-contact capacity. Additionally, forward Warren Foegele also rejoined the group today in a full-contact jersey, after he skated in a non-contact jersey during yesterday’s morning skate. Lastly, forward Phillip Danault was not on the ice for practice today, as the Kings had 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders participating.
For Danault, the update provided is the easiest one – “maintenance day” per Jim Hiller. Will keep an eye on his situation heading into tomorrow’s game versus Chicago.
On Drew Doughty and Warren Foegele –
The @LAKings are “hopeful” they could play tomorrow, per Jim Hiller, but if not tomorrow, he expects by Saturday.
Great signs on both fronts!
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) December 3, 2025
Regarding Doughty and Foegele, it’s good to see both players approaching a return. They’ve been missed. They’re not an end all, be all solution, but they’ve definitely been missed. There is optimism from Jim Hiller surrounding their availability for tomorrow’s game potentially, but expecting both players to be back for sure by Saturday at the latest.
“We’re hopeful for tomorrow and, if not then, I would expect by Saturday,” Hiller said. “That’s the first time they’ve had a full practice with the team, so they got to go through that process. We’re hopeful.”
On Foegele, today marked Day 2 back with the full group, after he skated in a non-contact jersey during yesterday’s optional morning skate. Foegele jumped right back into the line rushes, skating more or less in Danault’s spot, with Alex Laferriere moving to the middle and Foegele going on the left with Laferriere and Andrei Kuzmenko.
In speaking with Foegele himself today, he said he is “hoping to play tomorrow”. He hasn’t really been out all that long, missing only the last three games with an upper-body injury. He’s close and feels that he is ready to go if he’s cleared to play against the Blackhawks.
“It was really nice to be out there with the guys,” he said. “When you’re sitting out, it’s not fun, but you just miss being around the guys. It was a lot of fun being out there today and it felt really good……I feel good right now and hoping to have a good performance [when I get back in].”
His spot today was an interesting spot. He and Laferriere have always gelled well together. They’re two of the team’s more direct players, who are both capable of playing that North/South style. I thought Laferriere was one of the team’s only players really playing that way last night against Washington. He was direct and got pucks to the net. However, with Danault’s status unknown for tomorrow, unsure how that could potentially impact Foegele’s placement in the lineup.
Regardless of where he slots in, Foegele is hoping to bring that direct style of hockey when he returns. The best version of Foegele is a very direct player, someone who skates, gets pucks to the net, recovers them and plays with tenacity. That’s the goal and that’s what he can bring to the table.
“I think being direct, we saw it last year, when we were really rolling, it’s kind of everyone just playing direct, fast, quick shifts, playing on our toes,” he said. “I think when we’re moving our feet, especially for myself, the team looks a lot better.”
On Doughty, he came back right away in a full-contact capacity. He’s missed just shy of three weeks now with a lower-body injury, which came off a blocked shot in Ottawa.
The Kings had won five of six games leading into Doughty’s injury and have posted a 2-2-3 mark in the seven games Doughty has missed. Like I said earlier, those numbers aren’t just Doughty specific, but certainly plays a part in it. Doughty is a much needed puck mover on the Kings blueline that has remained defensively sound, allowing just 16 goals in those seven games, though they’ve scored only 14. Again, this isn’t all down to Doughty alone. But sometimes it starts deeper in the zone and that’s where Doughty can really help to make a difference. Doughty, statistically speaking, has been the team’s best puck moving defenseman from his own zone. Per SportLOGIQ, Doughty has the best success rate in completing passes from his defensive zone among Kings defensemen. He’s willing to try to stretch the ice and he’s been really good at outletting the puck on the breakout. He’s the team’s best two-way defenseman in terms of combining his impact both with the puck and without it.
Really good signs to see him approaching a return. Assuming Doughty will be a game-time decision here tomorrow and we’ll have to get a sense of where he’s at in the morning.
For today, here is the alignment the Kings went with during today’s skate up front.
Moore – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Armia
Foegele – Laferriere – Kuzmenko
Malott – Turcotte – Perry
Helenius
On the blueline, there were seven defensemen, so there was a lot of mixing and matching. Saw Mikey Anderson run drills with Joel Edmundson, as he has been, but also with Doughty and with Brandt Clarke. Saw Clarke and Doughty go together a couple times. Saw Brian Dumoulin go with Cody Ceci as well. Ultimately, not sure where the pairings will land tomorrow. What feels most likely is how the Kings were rolling things before Doughty’s injury, with him next to Anderson and then partnerships of Edmundson/Clarke and Dumoulin/Ceci. However, that might be one we confirm for sure during warmups tomorrow evening.
So, lots to keep an eye on for tomorrow.
Danault’s status off the maintenance day, Foegele/Doughty availability, defensive pairings and I suppose the starting goaltender as well. Same bat time, same bat channel in the AM!
Lastly, for today, forward Samuel Helenius signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings earlier in the week.
“Yeah, I’m excited. It’s difficult when you don’t have a contract for next season and this feels good to know where you’re going to stay next year. I’m excited, it feels good.”
Jim Hiller spoke highly of Helenius, both as a player and for how he’s handled a difficult season thus far. Helenius has not complained with a reduced role and he’s been extremely invested in practices, working on his game, keeping the correct attitude. Hiller has appreciated that, pointing to his situation as a difficult one, based more on circumstance than anything Helenius isn’t showing him.
“It’s so circumstantial for him, we really like him, obviously, we extended him,” Jim Hiller said. “He’s going to be in the league for a long, long time and he’s never leaving, he’s that good, it’s just timing, opportunity, all those things. In the meantime, he’s been tremendously patient. He works on his game every day with a smile on his face. He’s doing all the right things and when we can get him in there, we will.”
Helenius has a longer-term outlook here with the Kings and the extension shows that. Seemed to be happy to sign it and keep things going with the Kings.