Elliotte Friedman weighs in on $88,000,000 Kings star's chances for making Team Canada's 4 Nations roster after uptick in form

On Friday's edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on Drew Doughty’s chance to make Team Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations tournament. Doughty, 35, missed time after an ankle injury in the preseason.

Since his return, he has played two games with the Los Angeles Kings. He has no points and a minus-4 rating. However, Drew Doughty has been getting a lot of ice time, averaging 25:47 minutes per game. In his last game, he played 27:43 minutes in a 0-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

Friedman said that if Doughty plays at his current level, he should be part of the team.

"If he's gonna play like this, he's gonna be on Team Canada," Friedman said. [29:45 onwards] "Jim Hiller said he looked tired. He looked a bit tired after the second game like, no kidding.

While co-host Kyle Bukauskas said Drew Doughty could warn the Kings not to limit his minutes on the ice, Elliotte Friedman discussed a rather amusing possibility involving the defenseman and the LA team.

I could see them like hiding his equipment and him going and putting on someone else's just saying, Okay, I'm ready to play," Friedman opined.

Doughty is playing his 17th NHL season and is on an eight-year, $88 million contract with the Kings with a cap hit of $11 million per season. Last season, he played all 82 games, scoring 15 goals and 35 points. He averaged 25:48 minutes of ice time per game.

While the LA Kings may manage his playing time after his injury, Doughty is expected to return to a prominent role soon. If Doughty keeps playing well, his chance of making Team Canada’s 4 Nations roster looks strong.

Drew Doughty could fill Alex Pietrangelo's spot in Team Canada

Alex Pietrangelo has withdrawn from the 4 Nations Face-Off due to an injury, leaving a spot open on Team Canada. Chris Tanev, Drew Doughty, MacKenzie Weegar, and Brandon Montour are among the players considered for the position.

NHL insider Chris Johnston first floated Doughty's name in consideration.

"Drew Doughty, MacKenzie Weegar, and Brandon Montour are among the other players on the radar along with Tanev." Johnston tweeted on Wednesday.

However, Tanev, a defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a strong candidate to replace Pietrangelo. He is playing in his 15th NHL season and has been effective defensively, especially in penalty killing. This season, he has 1 goal, 13 assists and a +18 rating in 49 games. Over his career, he has a +140 rating in 841 games.

The 4 Nations Face-Off starts on Feb. 12. Teams from Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S. will compete. It remains to be seen if Drew Doughty will be selected instead of Tanev to play for Team Canada.