Drew Doughty played in his 18th NHL season with the Los Angeles Kings, and he is now the longest tenured member of the Kings since Anze Kopitar retired. Doughty has been playing a meaningful role for the Kings since he was drafted, and while he has gotten older. His production has slowed down, but the Kings continue to need him as a leader. Throughout the season, he was the leader the Kings needed him to be, and looking forward to next season, the Kings will not have to worry about leadership in the locker room with him around. 

This season for Drew Doughty was an important one, especially after last season, when he dealt with injuries that limited him to only 30 games. But this season, Doughty played in 72 games, scoring 5 goals and 18 assists for 23 points. While Doughty's point production has slowed, he still averaged over 20 minutes a game for the Kings throughout the season.

Doughty played most of the season with Mikey Anderson, one of the younger Kings' defensemen, and, like Edmundson, played a major role in helping the younger defensemen develop while playing alongside him. Drew Doughty would also be on the second power play for the Kings, which shows that the Kings still see him as a reliable defenseman capable of quarterbacking a power play. 

Overall, Doughty is slowing down, which is the unfortunate reality. However, he is still able to play big minutes for the Kings. Heading into next season, new head coach Peter Laviolette will be looking at Doughty not only for important minutes but also as a leader. Since Kopitar retired, Doughty can step up and be the leader for the Kings heading into next season. While Doughty won't be able to put up numbers as he did in his prime this season, he still proved just how valuable he is to the Kings.