Drew Doughty suffered an injury in last night's LA Kings preseason game, and there has been an update provided now on his condition. The Los Angeles Kings took quite a blow in their most recent preseason contest, with veteran defenseman and former Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty going down with what looked to be a severe lower-body injury. The injury, which looked quite severe, might keep Doughty out of action for quite some time, creating a big hole in the middle of the Kings' defense. But this development is a particular sore one for the Kings, who came into the 2024-2025 season with high aspirations and hopes for a deep playoff run. It appears that Dr. Harjas Grewal has provided a very grim update on the Kings defenseman. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Harjas_Grewal/status/1839149211172090300'> </a></blockquote></div> This injury, to Doughty of all players, is tough to swallow for the Kings, who had been building some great momentum with a roster that had balanced promising young talent with seasoned veterans. Youngsters like Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Laferriere were fitting in nicely with the seasoned leadership of players like Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and Doughty himself. Now, with the season looming, the Kings have landed firmly in uncertainty regarding their lineup and the trajectory of the season, which wasn't that long ago full of promise. But a silver lining for the Kings is buried within the disappointment. With the injury to Doughty, the door opens for a young star in the making in Brandt Clarke. A first-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, Clarke has long been considered one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the league. After getting his feet wet in 16 games with the Kings last year, Clarke now has an opportunity to <a href='https://www.si.com/onsi/breakaway/news-feed-page/drew-doughty-injury-los-angeles-kings-turn-rising-defenseman' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>step into a more prominent role</a> and shine on a bigger stage. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHLRussell/status/1585120446844129281'> </a></blockquote></div> The opportunity for Clarke comes at an important time, and there are obvious parallels between him and Doughty. Each is a tall, right-handed defenseman who joined the league with expectations as top-10 draft picks. Clarke's puck-moving ability, mixed with offensive vision, makes him a natural candidate to replace Doughty on the top power play unit. He may not have carried the wealth of NHL experience that Doughty has accumulated, but Clarke does ensure that dynamic playmaking from the blue line will not take a nose dive for the Kings. Suffice it to say, although Drew Doughty's injury has had a debilitating blow dealt to them, it does present Clarke with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove his worth and earn himself a reputation as the future top defenseman. With the added layer of responsibility via penalty killing to go with the tougher matchups, Clarke can make that leap with Doughty out. While the Kings are clearly hoping for the best with Doughty returning as quickly as possible, for now, they must turn their attentions to preparing for this season at hand, and Clarke will now be thrust to center stage at a critical juncture of his young NHL career.