Drew Doughty suffered a minor sprained knee

Looks like the Los Angeles Kings can breathe a sigh of relief.

According to Frank Seravalli, Drew Doughty suffered a relatively minor knee sprain. The team is still waiting for the last word from the doctors, which could arrive as early as Saturday. If Doughty’s sprained knee was as minor as it looks, it would be a positive prognosis after the frightening scene of Friday night’s loss to the Dallas Stars.

Doughty left the game after a knee-to-knee collision with Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa. He was helped out of the ice and did not return.

The Kings entered the 2021-22 season with renewed optimism after missing the playoffs for three consecutive years. Los Angeles made some big additions over the offseason, trading for Viktor Arvidsson and adding Phillip Danault and Alex Edler in free agency.

Losing the team’s top defenseman Doughty for an extended period would put a massive dent in the Kings’ playoff aspirations.

Los Angeles are 1-2-1 this season, and Doughty is second in scoring on the team with seven points in four games.