After leaving the Dec. 16 loss to the Dallas Stars following a scary hit to the head, the veteran goalie is back from injured reserve, giving Los Angeles back their defensive anchor on the ice.
Darcy Kuemper is back where the Kings need him most, on the ice defending the net.
Kuemper returns after missing time due to a head injury he sustained during the Kings' Dec. 16 loss to the Dallas Stars. The 35-year-old was forced to exit the game after taking a hard hit to the head that raised big questions about how long Kuemper would be out for.
Darcy Kuemper Leaves Game With Injury - Community Post
Kings' goaltender Darcy Kuemper left their game against the Stars after a collision with Mikko Rantanen.
Before his injury, Kuemper was 10-6-6 as the starting goalie for the Kings, averaging a .917 save percentage and recording two shutouts in his 23 starts.
Los Angeles has gone 2-4 without him in the six games he's missed in these two weeks, with Anton Forsberg backing up the star goalie, clearly needing him back desperately to defend the crease.
Now that Kuemper is cleared and activated, Kuemper's return provides a big boost to the Kings that they have desperately needed with all the drama and chaos that's surrounded them for the last few weeks on lack of effort and disappointing results being played out there on ice.
The Canadian native obviously isn't going to solve the Kings' defense all by himself; those problems were there long before he got injured. The issue is a personnel problem and effort. If that issue isn't fixed, LA will look the same with Kuemper's return.
But, Kuemper will still be a big plus to play on ice for the Kings, not just because of his ability to defend against star wingers, but also his game management, limiting goals, and keeping the Kings alive in every game, no matter who they face.
Along with the news of getting Kuemper back, the Kings are also loaning Pheonix Copley to the Ontario Reign, their American Hockey League affiliate. Copley has only played one game this season, and it was during Kuemper's absence, before Los Angeles went with Forsberg as the primary backup.
The move means Los Angeles would rather have Forsberg as the primary backup to Kuemper, given everything they've seen from the two backups this season. Forsberg has clearly been the better backup, despite Copley getting little playing time; the eye test shows Forsberg is the better player.
Ultimately, this transaction is more about the direction Los Angeles is going. Getting Kuemper back is a big deal, and it's a move that comes at precisely the right time for the Kings, heading into the new year to find some positive light in the second half of the season.
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