Last year, the Los Angeles Kings were one of the top teams in terms of goaltending with the trio of Cam Talbot, David Rittich, and Pheonix Copley. However, the Kings this offseason were tasked with replacing Talbot, who started 52 games last season after he signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Kings appear to already have brought in his replacement with the trade for Darcy Kuemper that sent center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals. However, Kuemper is coming off a career-worst season with a save percentage of only .890 and a goals against average of 3.31.
When looking at the position as a whole, the bigger concern is that they are not getting any younger as the three likely goaltenders right now are all over 30 years old in Kuemper, Pheonix Copley and David Rittich. One player who could certainly change this is Erik Portillo, who is a restricted free agent and should be under contract soon.
LA Kings should be looking at potential Yaroslav Askarov trade
According to ESPN's Kevin Weekes, one of the Predators' top goalie prospects, Yaroslav Askarov, has reportedly told the team that he is looking to be traded. He has appeared in only three games over the past two seasons but last year stopped 33 of 35 shot attempts.
In the AHL, he appeared in 92 games over the past two seasons with a save percentage of .911 and a goals against average of only 2.55.
While the Kings may want someone who is more proven at the position, the idea of adding youth could be more appealing. By trading for a top prospect like Asakrov to compete with Portillo, could be the best answer, only for this season, but into the future and help solidify the goalie position for the Los Angeles Kings.