The Kings have acquired defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a package that includes goalie Jonathan Quick and a 2023 first-round draft pick, according to multiple reports.
With glaring needs for a netminder and a left-handed shot on the blue line, the Kings filled two voids with one transaction, which was finalized late Tuesday night PT. The Kings defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 6-5, in a shootout in Canada earlier Tuesday, but even captain Anze Kopitar, who scored four goals in the win, seemed taciturn afterward.
That was almost certainly because in order to improve their chances at making a deep playoff run, the Kings jettisoned a franchise icon, one of the last remnants of their golden era. Quick backstopped them to Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (postseason MVP) en route to the franchise’s first championship. Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty are the only remaining members of those rosters.
Gavrikov, 27, is in the final year of his contract and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, unless the Kings sign him to an extension before then. Korpisalo, 28, will also see his pact expire at the end of the season. Their salary cap hits were $2.8 million and $1.3 million, respectively. Quick, 37 also a pending UFA, is earning $5.8 million in the final year of a 10-year contract.
Gavrikov posted a career-high 33 points last season. In 2022-23, he has 10 points in 52 games. He has logged more than 20 minutes of ice time in 43 of those games. His offensive production could almost be considered a bonus as his calling card is his game in his own zone. At 6-foot-3 and north of 220 pounds, Gavrikov gives the Kings a physical presence on the left side they haven’t had since Willie Mitchell’s departure. Gavrikov’s active stick and gap control were surely attractive to Kings general manager Rob Blake, a former defenseman who has been seeking to add size on the back end since at least this past spring.
Korpisalo won 19 games in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. He has posted a respectable .913 save percentage this season despite playing behind one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL and one that has been battered by injuries.
Quick, 37, has an 11-13-4 record, a 3.50 goals-against-average, a .911 save percentage and one shutout this season.
In 743 career NHL regular-season games, all with the Kings, Quick has a 370-275-82 record with 57 shutouts, a 2.46 GAA and a .911 save percentage.
Related Articles
Kopitar scores 4, Kempe nets shootout winner as Kings edge Jets
Kings hope to end road woes with trip finale in Winnipeg
Kings stumble against Rangers in game marred by spitting incident
Kings take on Rangers with focus on maintaining leads
Kings power past Islanders with 3-goal second period
He was selected by the Kings in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft.
In-season trades between the Kings and Blue Jackets have proven fruitful in the past. In 2012, the Kings picked up forward Jeff Carter from Columbus, who was an integral component of both Stanley Cup runs, and two years later they called again for Marian Gaborik, whom former coach Darryl Sutter credited with getting the Kings over the top for a second time.
Tuesday was the busiest day of trades in the league so far this season, mimicking the trade deadline itself, which is Friday at noon PT. If Kings fans had any fear of missing out on the feast, they essentially got a two-for-one deal as a midnight snack Tuesday, albeit one with a bitter aftertaste given the unceremonious departure of one of the most important players in franchise history.