EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – There was ample reason for optimism at the Los Angeles Kings practice facility on Monday.

New forwards Mike Richards and Simon Gagne were skating on a line with captain Dustin Brown. Anze Kopitar was skating on his repaired right ankle and Dustin Penner looked a fit  242 pounds, alleviating concerns about his conditioning. 

One face was conspicuously absent, and threatens to hang over training camp until it appears: Drew Doughty.

“It's the way the game is," center Jarret Stoll said. "We do miss him on the ice and in the locker room immensely. But hopefully he’ll be here.” 
Doughty has the leverage of being one of the NHL’s premier young defensemen at 22, and it could be argued that Norris Trophy finalists are harder to come by than goal scorers.

Doughty’s camp presumably doesn’t want a long-term deal that would delay being able to test the free agent market down the road, but the Kings would obviously like to lock Doughty up long-term and the belief is they prefer not to make him their highest-paid player.

“It's the way the game is," center Jarret Stoll said. "We do miss him on the ice and in the locker room immensely. But hopefully he’ll be here.

Negotiations hit another impasse recently after Doughty’s camp reportedly rejected a deal that would pay him $6.8 million a year for seven years.
 
Meehan also represents Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan, whose negotiations for an extension lasted all last summer and loomed over the start of camp.

Doughty has already missed the start, and the Kings have done their best not to make it a distraction.

“When you’re here in camp, everybody’s doing their own thing to get ready for the season,” defenseman Jack Johnson said. “I think it will set in more when we start playing games and he’s not here. Obviously he’ll be here eventually. Eventually might be next week, or who knows? It’s kind of a general statement, but of course he’ll be here eventually.”

Notes

Anaheim G Jonas Hiller said he’s feeling better and ready to go but the real test will come in his first exhibition game. Out with vertigo-like symptoms since February, Hiller pronounced himself healthy in August. He faced NHL shooters such as Mark Streit in his home Switzerland before camp but has not been in an NHL-game environment for seven months. Hiller otherwise said he’s feeling OK. “The first time back on the ice I’m already feeling a lot better than the last time I skated here at the end of the season,” Hiller said. “I felt like it was more a timing issue, which wasn’t right, because I haven’t stopped pucks properly  for a while but (through) practice it starting getting better and I feel comfortable with where I’m at right now.” … San Jose revealed last week that Martin Havlat is recovering from arthroscopic shoulder surgery after he was injured in the World Championships in May. … The Dallas Stars submitted a “pre-packaged” bankruptcy plan in the first step toward selling the club to Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi. The plan “provides for a court-supervised auction of the Dallas Stars Club and other hockey-related assets,” according to a release, and stated that “no bid submitted will be considered that contemplates moving the team from the American Airlines Center in Dallas.” … Longtime Washington Capitals center Boyd Gordon said he feels "re-energized" in Glendale, and head coach Dave Tippett is mutually impressed with the Coyotes' off-season acquisition. "I've been very impressed with Boyd so far. … He does everything right," Tippett told reporters at training camp over the weekend.

Photos by Getty Images

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