The LA Kings have a logjam in goal

Day one of free agency saw the LA Kings sign four forwards and two depth defensemen. The team has had a relatively quiet two days since, with some thinking a trade could come.

With the additions of Mats Zuccarello, Corey Perry, Erik Haula, and the return of Scott Laughton, the Kings have an extreme logjam at forward. The defensive core is still an issue, even with the additions of Erik Gustafsson and Scott Perunovich.

One area that hasn’t been talked about enough is the goaltending. Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg both have one year remaining on their current deals. Erik Portillo also has one year remaining on his three-year deal, and Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky have arrived at the professional level.

Quietly, the Kings have a logjam in net. What Ken Holland does to the goaltending on the NHL roster will have its trickle-down effect on the AHL club in Ontario. With that in mind, why don’t we take a look at some options Holland can do to the goaltending net.

Option 1: Run it back

The unlikely option here would be for the Kings to run it back. Kuemper is 36, and asking him to rebound after a poor season for the second time in three seasons with a history of injuries is a tough task. Forsberg, 33, had a rough start to last season but rebounded well when Kuemper struggled and earned the starting job in the playoffs.

If the Kings opt to run it back with the goalies, that means Portillo is blocked from competing for a spot on the roster. More so, the trickle-down effect to the Reign takes place here. If Portillo is indeed going back to Ontario, and there are no trades made, one of Slukynsky or George will have to be loaned to get playing time in the ECHL, or Ontario decides to carry three goalies.

It’s a messy scenario that I wouldn’t like to see happen.

Option 2: Make a trade

This option would make more sense. One of the five goalies gets traded, and the logjam is no more. Let’s play a hypothetical here. If one of Kuemper or Forsberg gets traded to clear roster space, it’ll give Portillo a fair shake and look at what he can do at the NHL level. It will also allow Slukynsky and George to compete and share the net in Ontario, and wouldn’t that be fun?

A risk? Sure. Sometimes you have to take risks.

It’ll be interesting to see what Holland decides to do in the goaltending department before training camp commences.

Featured image credit: Jonathan Hui