*Photo from the Los Angeles Times*
Here's a trade flying in from the middle of nowhere. The Los Angeles Kings have acquired goalie Darcy Kuemper from the Washington Capitals in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Both teams have confirmed the trade.
No salary was retained on either side, making this a heavy salary exchange in a one for one trade. Dubois was traded after the first year of a 8 year, $68 million contract, paying him $8.5 million annually with a no trade clause kicking in July 1. Kuemper was traded after the second year of a 5 year, $26.25 million contract, paying him $5.25 million annually with a modified no trade clause.
Dubois stumbled in his first season with the Kings after being traded to them by the Winnipeg Jets. He ended the year with 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points, posting a -9 rating while averaging 15:42 of ice time per game in 82 games. He had one goal in 5 playoff games.
Kings GM Rob Blake addressed moving Dubois, saying "Well, I don’t think I did a good enough job of integrating him in the right roles on the team here this year. You know, I think it wasn’t a great fit in that aspect for us, and we’ll take responsibility for that."
Chosen with the 3rd overall pick of the 2016 NHL draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dubois requested and was eventually granted a trade in his 4th NHL season with his relationship declining with the Blue Jackets. After not wanting to stay in Winnipeg long term, he was traded last offseason. After a less than ideal fit in Los Angeles, he's on the move for the 3rd time in his career, starting his age 26 season in 2024.
Over 7 seasons, Dubois has played for the Blue Jackets, Jets, and Kings. He has 145 goals and 197 assists for 342 points to his name. He pairs that with a +4 rating and an average of 17:18 of ice time per game in 516 games. He also has 11 goals and 16 assists in 43 playoff games over 6 years.
The Kings are getting Kuemper back in return, who will get his second stint in Los Angeles. He played 19 games with the Kings in 2017-2018 after coming over from the Minnesota Wild. He ended up becoming the backup to Charlie Lindgren by the end the season, his second year in Washington.
Blake said of getting Kuemper that "I think the goaltender in return, obviously with Darcy, familiarity with him, our goalie department understanding him and having a relationship with him. I think the duo with him and David can help stabilize that position here for a few years, which continues our growth with Portillo in the American League. We saw some good things out of him this year, but we also project two, three years down the road, and so I think that helps solve an issue here for us."
Last season was a down year for Kuemper in the U.S. nation's capital. He ended the season with a 13-14-3 record with a .890 save percentage and 3.31 GAA, recording one shutout and 14 quality starts in 30 starts and 33 total games. He didn't get any action in the playoffs.
A former 6th round pick in the 6th round of the 2009 NHL Draft, Kuemper has played for the Kings, Capitals, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and Colorado Avalanche, helping lead the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2021-2022.
Washington GM Brian MacLellan said of the trade that "We are thrilled to announce the addition of Pierre-Luc to the Caps organization. This acquisition brings in a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL. With his size, exceptional skating, and high hockey IQ, we are confident he will thrive in our organization with increased responsibility and opportunity. We also thank Darcy for his valuable contributions to our organization on and off the ice and wish him the best in Los Angeles. After witnessing Charlie Lindgren's performance last season, we believe he deserves a chance to play a more significant role within our team."
Lindgren will take over the starting goalie job in Washington, where he is currently the only goalie on the NHL roster. With their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears, Hunter Shepard and Clay Stevenson are candidates for the backup job. Kuemper and Rittich will be the tandem with the Kings as Cam Talbot is set to hit free agency, with Pheonix Copley also in the mix.
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