The Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets reportedly are swapping goaltenders, with Joonas Korpisalo headed to California while Stanley Cup hero Jonathan Quick moves to Ohio.
According to multiple media reports late Tuesday night, Feb. 28, the Kings are also getting defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov while the Blue Jackets are getting a first-round draft pick.
If the deal goes through, it would give the Kings the goalie and left-handed defenseman many feel are the missing ingredients for a team that ended the night tied for most points in the Western Conference after winning 6–5 in a shootout against the host Winnipeg Jets.
The Kings are second-to-last in the league in save percentage (.882) and their 3.39 goals-against average ranks 22nd among the 32 NHL teams.
If Quick exits, the Kings would be bidding farewell to one of the most significant players in club history. He is the Kings’ all-time leader in goalie wins (370, 191 more than the next-closest player), save percentage (minimum 70 games played) at .911 and shutouts (57). He was the netminder for the club’s two Stanley Cup championships (2012, 2014) and ranks third all-time in wins by American-born goalies.
However, the 37-year-old’s 2022–23 numbers are the worst of his career, with an .876 save percentage and a 3.50 GAA that are better that only the marks of .855 and 3.84 that he posted in his debut season, when he played only three games.
Korpisalo, 28, has played in 28 games this season after playing in only 22 last season as he battled injuries. He underwent hip surgery in the offseason and did not make his season debut until November.
He is 87–78–24 in 210 games over his eight seasons, all with Columbus. Korpisalo has a career .903 save percentage and 3.06 goals-against average. He is 11–11–3 with a .911 save percentage and a 3.17 GAA this season.
Like many Blue Jackets players (Columbus’ 46 points are the fewest in the league), Gavrikov is having a down season with three goals and seven assists in 52 games.
The 27-year-old Russian has 15 goals and 58 assists in 256 games, all with Columbus. His five goals last season tied a career high while his 28 assists and 33 points set new career benchmarks.
