The Los Angeles Kings are struggling right now after playing so well for most of February. They have now lost three straight games, and there seem to be more questions than answers at this point.
One of the big questions is what the team does before the NHL Trade Deadline and for most of the season it seemed like they just needed to add more scoring up front. However, this recent stretch might have the Kings adding another position that they may want to improve at goaltender, particularly finding a replacement for David Rittich.
Rittich joined the LA Kings as a free agent prior to the 2023-24 season and was excellent last season with a 13-6-3 record with a save percentage of .921 and a goals against average of 2.15. The Kings re-signed Rittich in free agency and the hope was he could continue this strong play backing up Darcy Kuemper.
Early in the season, Rittich played a lot as Kuemper had two stints on injured reserve and in that time period played pretty well. In November, he went 6-3 with a save percentage of .901 and a goals against average of 2.07.
However, since that month it has been a different story and this past week has really highlighted the need for a possible replacement. He would get the start against the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues and gave up seven total goals and a save percentage of .862.
Since the beginning of January, Rittich has a record of 1-4-2, and the Kings need to really consider adding another goalie to back up Kuemper.
Options before the NHL Trade Deadline are limited for the Los Angeles Kings
While the Kings may be looking for an upgrade, it might be a challenge as the options are seemingly limited leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. It is a premium position and teams that trade for goalies usually have to pay a premium price.
When considering the Kings would be looking to add just a backup, it might not make sense to make a trade. The better option might be to look for other options within the organization, and that would be to call up Pheonix Copley or even Erik Portillo. Between the two, Copley might be the favored option as Portillo is still inexperienced, and it might be tough to put a younger player up right in the middle of a playoff race.