Head coach Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings ranked eighth out of the top 10 teams in the penalty kill last season in the league. The Kings allowed fewer scoring chances and goals on the penalty kill with the special teams unit than any other team in the Pacific Division in the West this past season in 2024-25.
Los Angeles Kings starting netminder Darcy Kuemper expected to be a Vezina Trophy finalist contender in goal for the 2025-26 campaign
LA also ranked in the top 10 in the NHL last season in medium, high-danger, and opponent slot shooting attempts last year (per Money Puck).
A big reason why the Kings ranked second in the NHL last season in goals allowed (2.48 goals against per game on average) was the play and efficiency of the special teams unit on the penalty kill and the consistency of play in the net from Darcy Kuemper in goal.
Kuemper registered a career-high five shutouts and 18 wins against playoff teams that made the postseason this past regular season. He won at least 30 games for a playoff team for the first time in four years with the Colorado Avalanche (2021-22 postseason).
The Kings had a starting netminder finish in the top three of the Vezina Trophy voting for the first time in a decade with Jonathan Quick in the 2015-16 season.
Had it not been for Kuemper, the Kings probably would not have tied a franchise record in history of 105 points in the standings this past season in 2024-25.
Kuemper gave the Kings the type of steady and reliable backbone in the net that the blue line needed to win key games in the Pacific Division down the stretch this past regular season. He registered eight quality starts in the final 11 games he played down the stretch this past regular season, including nine wins to help the Kings secure a top three spot in the postseason in the Pacific Division standings.
Finishing in the top three in the Vezina Trophy voting and ranking in the top three in the Western Conference among netminders projected to start this upcoming season easily landed Kuemper on the list of the best goalies for the upcoming 2025-26 regular season.
I'd even say that Kuemper is a bit underrated on this ranking from NHL.com, despite making the list in the top 10 for netminders going into the upcoming 2025-26 season in the West.
Here is the complete list of the top 10 goaltenders in the league, according to NHL.com, going into the 2025-26 regular season this fall.
1. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
5. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
6. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
7. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
8. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild
9. Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings
10. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators
Since the Kings have another deep and proven group for the top six depth chart projected for the defensive core going into the upcoming 2025-26 season, Kuemper should have another campaign as a top-tier goalie starting for LA.