Drew Doughty had a message for those who say the Los Angeles Kings' 1-3-1 alignment isn't good for the game of hockey.

"Pretty absurd comments," the veteran blue-liner said, according to The Fourth Period's Dennis Bernstein. "When we brought the system (in) ... I wasn't too keen on playing it, to be honest with you. But as we've continued to play it seeing how successful it is and how frustrating it is for other teams ... and I think a lot of these people are just saying it out of frustration, because it's working."

Vancouver Canucks rearguard Nikita Zadorov criticized the strategy after a 3-2 loss to the Kings on Monday night.

“I mean, that's their system,” he said, per Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre. “They don't really make plays; they just rim the puck and sit back all game. I mean, it's their goal to (not) play hockey and (not) let the other team play hockey, pretty much. Yeah, it's hard to come back, especially when you're down two goals. They had one extra bounce than we did today, so that was the difference out there.”

Kings head coach Jim Hiller defended the system on Wednesday, pointing out that it gets results.

“Everybody plays the game to win and that’s what we do," Hiller said, according to Hockey Royalty's Russell Morgan.

Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl had a tongue-in-cheek response when asked Thursday if a little piece of him dies inside when he has to dump the puck in against the 1-3-1.

"Yeah, it's just unfortunate. It’s quite sad," he said jokingly, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector.

The Kings entered Thursday occupying third place in the Pacific Division at 38-22-11.

Los Angeles drew similar criticism during its most recent Stanley Cup championship runs. The defensive-minded Kings became the first No. 8 seed to ever win the Stanley Cup in 2012 before winning it again two years later.

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Ivan Fedotov is finally, officially, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Russian goaltender has arrived in North America, the NHL club announced Friday. Shortly thereafter, Fedotov met with reporters alongside Flyers general manager Daniel Briere.

Briere said head coach John Tortorella will decide whether Fedotov plays over the rest of this season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel. The GM added that the netminder is on the roster while Felix Sandstrom has been returned to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The NHL informed the Flyers that Fedotov is eligible to play in the postseason, Briere said, per PHLY Sports' Charlie O'Connor. The GM also noted Samuel Ersson is still the team's No. 1 goaltender.

On Thursday, KHL squad CSKA Moscow terminated Fedotov's contract. CSKA signed him to a two-year agreement last July, so it ended the deal with one year remaining. He also has an active contract with the Flyers that expires July 1, making him a pending unrestricted free agent.

Briere doesn't anticipate much difficulty in signing Fedotov to a contract extension.

"It's something that we're working on," the GM said Friday. "I don't expect it to be an issue."

The puck-stopper played this season in Europe in defiance of an IIHF ruling in favor of the NHL and the Flyers in August.

The IIHF determined Fedotov had a valid NHL contract for the 2023-24 season when he signed with CSKA. The ruling was expected to open the door for the 27-year-old to play with the Flyers, but he opted to remain in Russia.

He signed the contract with the Flyers in May 2022 but was taken to a Russian military base two months later to serve. Philadelphia then tolled the pact over to this season.

Fedotov has spent parts of seven campaigns in the KHL and his last two with CSKA. He went 21-22-1 with a .914 save percentage across 44 games during this regular season and then 1-4 with a .916 mark in the playoffs. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl eliminated CSKA in five games in the first round.

The Flyers drafted Fedotov 188th overall in 2015.

Ersson has shouldered the bulk of the workload in Philadelphia's crease this season. He's struggled to a degree with an .895 save percentage, along with a 21-15-7 record. Sandstrom and Cal Petersen have played five games apiece. Carter Hart is on leave from the team after being charged in the 2018 world junior sexual assault case.

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Martin Brodeur understands why goaltending workloads have changed in recent years, but the Hall of Famer still thinks the players at his old position are overprotected nowadays.

"I think we baby our goalies," the New Jersey Devils executive vice president of hockey operations told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday. "I see it. I'm part of it. It's like, my goalie coach will say, 'He's played five games the past eight days …' I'm like, 'So?'"

Brodeur played at least 70 games in 12 of his 22 seasons, including a stretch from 1995-96 through 2007-08 in which he averaged 73 contests. But lately, the majority of NHL teams have resorted to goaltending tandems. Some clubs, like the Boston Bruins, employ a virtually even split, while others use a "1A/1B" approach with the backup starting more often than he would've in the past in order to help preserve the No. 1 netminder for the long run.

Goaltenders' job security has also become more fraught, while some puck-stoppers that are now mainstays initially emerged from relative obscurity.

"The sport has changed, but the position has changed a lot, just because of the workload that these guys are having," Brodeur said. "It's so volatile, that position. One year, you can be the top goalie. The second year, it's like you don't even belong in the league. It's weird how really volatile the position has become."

The four-time Vezina Trophy winner believes the split workloads contribute to how unpredictable the position can be in the modern game.

"It's the system of 1A and 1B that's going to create that," Brodeur said. "Because it's always going to be, 'We can't play back-to-back (games).' You're so scared the No. 1 gets hurt. And so you baby that guy for the longest time. So, these guys are playing 55 games. They should be playing 65-to-70 games like we did."

Brodeur acknowledged the average goalie now is better than when he played but said it's harder to trust younger netminders, so experience often wins out.

The legendary former crease-patroller helped the Devils win three Stanley Cup championships and led Canada to two Olympic gold medals. New Jersey won the William Jennings Trophy (a team goaltending award) five times during Brodeur's career, and he was a three-time Hart Trophy finalist.

Brodeur was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He joined the Devils' front office in August 2018 as executive vice president of business development. Brodeur became an advisor to the team's hockey operations department when Ray Shero was fired in January 2020. New Jersey promoted him to his current role in November 2022.

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Trevor Zegras is in the lineup for the Anaheim Ducks for the first time in months.

The talented forward is facing the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, the Ducks confirmed. He's slotting in on Anaheim's third line, head coach Greg Cronin said, according to Bally Sports West's Alyson Lozoff.

Zegras hasn't played since breaking his ankle early in a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Jan. 9.

It's been a forgettable season for the 23-year-old, both in terms of production and health. Zegras played only 20 games in 2023-24 before Tuesday's contest, mustering just four goals and three assists.

He missed 20 contests in November and December with a separate injury.

One of Zegras' goals this season went viral, as he netted a lacrosse-style "Michigan" marker during a 3-2 loss to the Kraken on Dec. 23. It was his first game back from the previous ailment, and he did it after Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard scored the same way earlier in the evening.

Zegras buried 23 goals in each of the previous two seasons, notching a career-best 65 points in 2022-23. He was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 2021-22. The Ducks drafted him ninth overall in 2019.

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The Colorado Avalanche signed Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.

Annunen's new deal carries an average annual value of around $833,000, according to ESPN's Kevin Weekes. The Finnish netminder was a pending restricted free agent whose current pact carries a $775,000 cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

The 24-year-old is 5-2-1 with a .926 save percentage and two shutouts in eight games this season. He's won each of his last four starts, allowing only five goals on 121 shots in that span for a save percentage of .959.

The Avalanche drafted Annunen 64th overall in 2018. He's primarily played for the club's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, over the last three campaigns. That's included 23 contests this season, 41 in 2022-23, and 48 in 2021-22.

Annunen suited up for a pair of NHL games in each of the two previous campaigns.

Alexandar Georgiev has handled the bulk of the workload in the Avalanche crease this season. He's tied for the league lead with 56 games played in 2023-24. Despite Georgiev's 37-15-3 record, he's underachieved to the tune of a .903 save percentage.

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New York Islanders captain Anders Lee was tossed from Sunday's 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils for going knee-on-knee with opposing captain Nico Hischier.

Lee initiated the collision with just over three minutes left in the second period.

Timo Meier came to his teammate's defense, taking Lee on in retaliation.

Lee got a five-minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct, plus a fighting major. Meier got five for fighting, plus two and 10 (the latter being a misconduct) for instigating.

Hischier left the game and didn't return for the rest of the second period, but he did emerge for the start of the third and ultimately played eight shifts in the final frame.

Lee didn't talk to reporters postgame, according to the New York Post's Ethan Sears.

Meier didn't mince words when asked about the incident.

"Pretty clear. Didn't like the hit," the forward said, according to team reporter Amanda Stein. "(It was a) dirty hit, so I kind of stepped in and let him know."

Hischier missed 11 games in October and November after Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton hit him in the head. The blue-liner was suspended for two contests.

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov appears to have avoided an injury scare after exiting Saturday's 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Samsonov needed help off the ice immediately after Leon Draisaitl scored the Oilers' third goal with 3:39 left in the third period.

However, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame that it "looks like he's going to be fine," according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Samsonov turned aside 31 of the 34 shots he faced in the game. Jones stopped all five fired his way before the final horn.

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov appears to have avoided an injury scare after exiting Saturday's 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Samsonov needed help off the ice immediately after Leon Draisaitl scored the Oilers' third goal with 3:39 left in the third period.

However, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame that it "looks like he's going to be fine," according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Samsonov turned aside 31 of the 34 shots he faced in the game. Jones stopped all five fired his way before the final horn.

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Former NHL grinder and Stanley Cup champion Chris Simon died at the age of 52, the league confirmed Tuesday.

Simon played 15 seasons in the NHL through 2007-08, racking up 1,824 penalty minutes, 144 goals, and 161 assists over 782 games with seven organizations.

"The family strongly believes and witnessed firsthand that Chris struggled immensely from CTE, which unfortunately resulted in his death," his former agent, Paul Theofanous, said in a statement on behalf of Simon's family, per ESPN.

"We are grieving with the loss of our son, brother, father, partner, teammate, and friend. The entire Wawa community is sharing in our grief. We will not be releasing any further details at this time and ask for privacy during this very difficult time. We appreciate everyone who shares in our tragic loss."

Simon spent his first three seasons with the Quebec Nordiques and his fourth with the Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche after Quebec moved there in 1995-96. He got back to the championship round two years later with the Washington Capitals, scoring a goal in Game 2 of a series they ultimately lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound winger led Washington with a career-high 29 goals across 75 games in 1999-2000 and played parts of seven campaigns in America's capital. He was a key contributor in a playoff run with the Calgary Flames in 2004, producing five tallies and two assists in 16 playoff games during their run to the Cup Final, which they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

While he had his moments on offense, Simon was also known for his on-ice transgressions. He was suspended eight times, and two of those were among the longest bans in NHL history. Simon sat 25 games (the rest of the regular season and playoffs) as a member of the New York Islanders for cross-checking Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg in the face in March 2007.

Nine months later, the league suspended him 30 games for stomping on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu's leg.

The Philadelphia Flyers drafted Simon with the 25th overall pick in 1990. However, he never suited up for the Flyers, with the club trading him to the Nordiques as part of the Eric Lindros blockbuster deal in 1992.

The Avalanche were among the teams that offered condolences Tuesday.

Simon also suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rangers, and the Minnesota Wild, with whom he finished his NHL career. He played five seasons in the KHL before retiring following the 2012-13 campaign.

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Relocation will be a possibility for the Arizona Coyotes if they lose a land auction scheduled for June.

The Coyotes' ownership is keen to win the auction, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on "Saturday Headlines."

"However, there is also an admission that the status quo cannot continue," according to Friedman.

"(It's unclear) what the timeline would be if they do win it, and how long it would take," he added. "As a result of that, especially if the Coyotes don't win the auction, relocation will be on the table."

The franchise is reportedly preparing for both scenarios.

On Thursday, the Arizona State Land Department Board of Appeals unanimously approved a $68.5-million appraisal for a 95-acre plot of land in Phoenix, clearing the way for the Coyotes to bid on it. That price will be the starting point in the auction, and it must be advertised for 10 weeks beforehand.

The Coyotes' potential relocation has been a talking point for years. However, it's reached a boiling point this season as they've been looking for an alternate plan to avoid remaining at Mullett Arena, the 5,000-seat NCAA facility they were forced to move into starting in 2022-23.

They had a plan to build an arena in Tempe, but a public referendum squashed that possibility last spring.

In January, Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith made a formal request to bring the NHL to that state. Then in February, NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh lambasted the Coyotes over the uncertainty of their situation. He said he was "extremely disappointed" in the ownership of the club, that he had "serious concerns" about it, and asked, "How long do you wait to get a home?"

The original Winnipeg Jets relocated to become the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996.

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