Another goalie could be hitting the trade market

The goaltender market is starting to look like it'll be a busy one this offseason. We've talked a lot about names like pending UFAs Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner, and a likely trade candidate like Jordan Binnington. Now we should be adding Darcy Kuemper's name to the list, per Scott Coffman in Mayors Manor.

Once the LA Kings work out a new contract for RFA Brandt Clarke, and potentially re-sign pending UFA Scott Laughton, they'll have some cap issues if they were hoping to bring in an impact player this offseason.

Coffman suggests that trading goalie Darcy Kuemper could go a long way towards easing their cap crunch. Last season's Vezina Trophy finalist lost his starter's job down the stretch this year to Anton Forsberg, and he didn't even make an appearance in their first-round playoff exit.

But the 36-year-old Kuemper still holds a .914 career save percentage and 2.57 goals against average, and with just one year remaining on his deal, there are some teams that will be looking for a netminder this offseason that could be interested.

'Sharp hockey minds' around NHL could be interested in a Kuemper trade

"Darcy Kuemper was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2025. He was also selected to Team Canada’s roster for the Olympics in February, so there’s respect there from sharp hockey minds around the league," writes Coffman.

The alternative, he says, is trading Forsberg. But that wouldn't give the Kings as much cap relief, as he's making just $2.25M in the final year of his deal next season. However, we would add, they could be selling high after his strong performance down the stretch.

Kuemper finished the season with a 19-14-15 record in 50 games, with an .891 Sv% and 2.78 GAA.

If he's dealt, the Kings could go with a decent tandem of Forsberg and 25-year-old Erik Portillo, who performed well in the AHL this season and could be ready to ease his way into a timeshare at the NHL level.