What direction does Los Angeles go?
After trading away goalie Cal Peterson in a salary cap savings deal, the Los Angeles Kings have a need in net. The team needs to fill the position this offseason, but General Manager Rob Blake must have a plan otherwise, Peterson doesn’t get moved. Los Angeles has some options at their disposal, some of which are better than others. They could look in-house, make a trade or sign someone in free agency.
The in-house options aren’t overly great, however. Joonas Korpisalo is a decent option, but this Kings team can likely do better. Korpisalo posted a strong 7-3-1/2.13/.921 line for the team during the regular season but had a very inconsistent playoff series against the explosive offense of the Edmonton Oilers. He could split time with another, but the Kings may look elsewhere.
Now for an interesting trade option comes from one of the teams that the Kings just made the Peterson trade with. The Flyers have too goalies and could be willing to give one up. If the Kings could get their hands on Carter Hart, they would likely jump at the opportunity. While he has had an up and down start to his career, he is still only 24. It could be an investment for the Kings on a player with major upside. Los Angeles has a better defense than Philadelphia, which should help Hart out. Other names they could consider trading for could include John Gibson from the Ducks, Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg or Karel Vejmelka from the Coyotes.
When looking at the free agents, some names that spark my interest are Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh. Jarry has struggled for the Pens come playoff time but that could also be more on the state of affairs out in Pittsburgh than him. He has a quality start percentage of .624 over the last three years as a starter and could be a nice option for Los Angeles. The other name that I’m interested in is Cam Talbot. He would likely be used in a dual role due to his age but could pair nicely with Korpisalo. Talbot could bring some veteran experience to the position and help make a difference in net.
Wherever direction Los Angeles decides to go, they have some real needs heading into the offseason. It’s a critical summer for a team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2014.