LA will wait to find their man to protect the net
The Los Angeles Kings entered the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft without a selection and ended day one without a pick.
They went into day two of the draft hoping to find players who would fit their needs, and the goalie position remained a topic of discussion. In the fourth round, the Kings selected Hampton Slukynsky, a goalie, but it's clear that this doesn't solve their immediate problem.
At the moment, Joonas Korpisalo and Pheonix Copley are the two goalies listed for the Kings, according to CBS Sports, but the team is primed to look for another going into the 2023-2024 season. However, we might wait a while before they do so, according to LA Times columnist Helene Elliott.
In her latest piece, Elliott believes that the Kings won't make a move for a goalie until the trade deadline.
-The Kings still must address their glaring need in goal. They could start the season with Pheonix Copley at No. 1 and upgrade before the trade deadline, as they did last season in acquiring Korpisalo. That move had mixed results: Gavrikov was the big, physical defenseman they needed and he signed a new deal to stay, but Korpisalo can walk away when free agency begins at 9 a.m. Saturday.
This suggests that the team might be willing to give their current goaltenders a chance to prove themselves before seeking a more definitive upgrade.
Korpisalo had a record of 18-14, with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.87 and a save percentage of .914. On the other hand, Copley had a record of 24-6, with a GAA of 2.64 and a save percentage of .903. While these statistics are decent, it's evident that neither goalie is seen as the long-term solution for the Kings.
In the meantime, the Kings will have to rely on the competition between Korpisalo and Copley to see who can step up and fill the void.