The Kings and Drew Doughty Agreed on One Thing. They Won’t Deal With His Contract Yet.

Ken Holland is not rushing into anything with Drew Doughty. The Los Angeles Kings general manager met with the veteran defenseman in Buffalo during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft and the two sides agreed on one clear thing: they are not signing a contract extension right now.

Holland said as much to reporters Friday night. “We did meet with Drew over the past few weeks,” Holland said, per Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Kuehl. “We’ve agreed that we’re not going to sign him to an extension. He loves it here. He wants to be here. I told him, and we both agreed, let’s see where he’s at, let’s see where the team is at a year from now.”

The GM added that Doughty wants to finish his career as a King. “His desire is to finish as an LA King and only put on one team’s jersey,” Holland said. “Certainly, that’s something that I’d like to have happen. But let’s see where he’s at and let’s see where we’re at.”

Doughty turns 37 before next season ends. He has one year left on his current contract, paying him $11 million in 2026-27. That makes him the highest-paid player on the roster alongside Artemi Panarin, who is signed for two more seasons at the same cap hit.

So why wait? Doughty is eligible for an extension starting July 1. But Holland is essentially punting this to next summer, when Doughty will be an unrestricted free agent. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the GM plans to address Doughty’s future at the conclusion of next season.

That’s a delicate spot for a franchise icon. Doughty has spent 18 seasons in LA. He helped drag the Kings to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He won the Norris Trophy in 2015-16. He’s third on the franchise games played list, sixth in assists and points. He’s the longest-tenured King after Anze Kopitar retired.

But he’s also coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. Doughty managed just 23 points in 72 games this year. He went pointless in the playoffs as the Avalanche swept the Kings in the first round. The London, Ontario native has 709 points in 1,279 regular season games and 61 more in 105 postseason games, but the offensive production is clearly dipping.

The Kings drafted him second overall in 2008. He has never worn another NHL jersey. The question is whether that streak continues past next season or whether Holland uses the cap space on younger options.

For now, both sides are comfortable with ambiguity. That might not last.