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Drew Doughty just turned 21 last season, his third in the NHL after being selected second overall in the 2008 Draft. In his young career he has already been part of remarkable teams on the international stage, winning gold and silver medals with the Canadian entries at the World Juniors and World Championships, while also winning at the highest possible level as part of the 2010 Olympic gold medalists. He made the NHL's all-rookie team in his debut season, and followed that up by narrowly missing out on a Norris Trophy win as a sophomore. He's acknowledged by virtually all commentators as not just one of the best young defensemen in the NHL, but one of the best defensemen in the NHL, period.
And he remains unsigned by the Los Angeles Kings.
Yet, negotiations with Los Angeles drag on. Kings' general manager Dean Lombardi was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying "unfortunately this could take a while." Doughty's agent, Don Meehan, remarked that communication with the Kings had been limited to date, and that he assumed the Kings' pursuit of Mike Richards via trade and Brad Richards via free agency had been occupying their time.
Naturally, the reason that Doughty hasn't signed elsewhere is because he isn't technically on the free market. As a restricted free agent, the Kings have certain rights. If Doughty were to sign an offer sheet with a rival club, Los Angeles would be given the opportunity to match the offer. If unable or unwilling to do so, they would receive compensation in the form of up to four first-round picks from the successful bidder, depending on the annual cap hit.
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