Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper had one of the great comeback stories of this past NHL season in the 2024-25 campaign in the West. Kuemper finished as a Vezina Trophy finalist with some of the top goaltenders in the NHL in the league today, like Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
Darcy Kuemper for the Los Angeles Kings ranks among the 10 best starting goalies for the upcoming 2025-26 season, according to The Hockey Writers
Had it not been for the play of Kuemper this past season in the Pacific Division for the Kings, LA probably would have not finished with 100 points in the standings at the end of the regular season.
Kuemper was a critical part of the Kings success this past season in the West. The Kings and head coach Jim Hiller need Kuemper to be every bit as good as he was last season if LA wants to make it over the hump in the postseason in the Western Conference next spring in 2026.
The Kings can count on goalie depth being a major strength for the team in the net going into the upcoming 2025-26 season. Kuemper will be the starting goalie this upcoming season to give the Kings a reliable anchor in the crease this year.
And the backup goalie situation is in good hands for the Kings after LA signed former Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks goalie Anton Forsberg to a two-year contract this offseason earlier in the summer in free agency.
The goal for Kuemper and Forsberg in net for the Kings this upcoming season is to finally get LA past the first round of the playoffs in the postseason next spring. Kuemper has two years remaining on his current contract.
The goaltending the Kings have in place for this upcoming season is more than enough to get this team among the contenders in the West in the postseason in 2026. The Hockey Writers listed Kuemper among the top 10 best goalies in the NHL in the updated rankings amid the 2025 preseason this fall.
Here's a look at the complete top 10 list of the best starting goalies in the NHL this preseason and going into the upcoming 2025-26 season from The Hockey Writers.
1. Connor Hellebuyck: Winnipeg Jets
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy: Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Filip Gustavsson: Minnesota Wild
4. Jake Oettinger: Dallas Stars
5. Igor Shesterkin: New York Rangers
6. Ilya Sorokin: New York Islanders
7. Dustin Wolf: Calgary Flames
8. Darcy Kuemper: Los Angeles Kings
9. Mackenzie Blackwood: Colorado Avalanche
10. Logan Thompson: Washington Capitals
It's worth noting that Kuemper jumped up nearly a double-digit number of spots on this list year-over-year after The Hockey Writers ranked him as the 17th best starting goalie in the league this past preseason in 2024.