La Kings trade franchise great
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The first Conn Smythe winner in franchise history was traded to Columbus this past week. Jonathan Quick had spent his first 16 years with the LA Kings, holding down the net for three long and memorable Stanley Cup Playoff runs in consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2014. The Kings won the Cup in 2012 and 2014, and lost in the Conference Final in 2013, a feat that would not have been possible without Quick.
In 2012 he started 20 games in the playoffs and had a 16-4 record to go along with three shutouts and a ridiculous .946 save percentage. The following playoffs saw him put up a .936 save percentage and three more shutouts before losing in five games to Chicago in the Western Conference Finals. 2014 might be his most impressive playoff run, where he played in all 26 of the Kings playoff games and led all goalies in saves, shot attempts, shutouts and accrued the most time on ice for all players with 1,605 minutes. He led all goalies in shutouts for each consecutive playoff run and hoisted two Stanley Cups because of it.
Quick is the Kings all-time leader in games played among goalies at 743. This is nearly double the 389 for Rogie Vachon who is second on the list and has his number retired by the Kings. Quick also has the most wins, saves, and shutouts among Kings goalies. Quick has 199 more wins and 25 more saves than Vachone for the number one spot, and 8,037 more saves than Kelly Hrudley for the Kings record. I think it is safe to say that the number 32 will someday be hanging in the rafters.
The trade sent Quick and a 2023 first round pick and a 2024 fourth rounder to Columbus for goalie Joonas Korpisalo and Left Defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov. Quick was in the last year of his 10-year contract with the Kings and has the second worst save percentage of the 53 qualified goalies this season, the other being another Kings goalie in Cal Peterson. To say the trade was needed is an understatement. The Kings have the offense to hang with any team in the league, but had the second worst goaltending in the NHL. Korpisalo has been a top-15 goalie on one of the worst teams in the league this season and should greatly improve the Kings’ Cup chances. Gavrikov is a defensive stopper that the left side of the Kings blue line group greatly needed as well. As hard as it is to trade a franchise legend, the time had come.
Quick was not a Blue Jacket for long, he was quickly rerouted to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, a division rival and currently the only team ahead of the Kings in the Pacific Division.
