Kings acquire goaltender Darcy Kuemper from Capitals for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois
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Yueke
Tue, Jun 25, 2024
Kings Acquire Goaltender Darcy Kuemper from Capitals for Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Washington Capitals in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois on Wednesday, in a trade involving high-priced, underachieving players.
Kuemper, who has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $26.25 million contract he signed with Washington in 2022, ended up being the backup to Charlie Lindgren when the Capitals were swept in four games in the first round by the New York Rangers.
The 34-year-old Kuemper appeared in 33 games with 30 starts for Washington last season. He posted a 13-14-3 record with a 3.31 goals-against average and one shutout.
Kuemper has played for five teams during his 12-year NHL career, including a previous stint with the Kings. He signed with Los Angeles as a free agent in 2017 and went 10-1-3 with a 2.10 GAA in 19 games (15 starts) before being traded to Arizona near the trade deadline in 2018.
Kuemper was the second goaltender to be traded on Wednesday, following a deal involving the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames.
Los Angeles, which hasn’t won a playoff series since capturing its second Stanley Cup title in three years in 2014, was in the market for a goaltender. Before acquiring Kuemper, David Rittich was the Kings' only goaltender under contract for next season.
The Kings were unlikely to make a significant move for a netminder during the upcoming free agency period due to a lack of salary cap space.
Los Angeles didn’t have much cap room after acquiring Dubois from Winnipeg and signing him to an eight-year, $68 million contract last season. The center struggled and recorded career lows for a full season in goals (16) and points (40).
Dubois, who turns 26 on Monday, was relegated to the Kings’ fourth line in the playoffs, where they lost in five games in the first round to the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.
This will be Dubois’ fourth team in eight seasons. He had previously informed Winnipeg of his intention to become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired after the 2023-24 season.
The Jets had acquired Dubois after he expressed a desire to leave the Blue Jackets, who drafted him third overall in 2016.
The Capitals are hopeful that Dubois will return to his previous form. He had career highs with 63 points and 36 assists in the 2022-23 season and has scored at least 20 goals four times.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Pierre-Luc to the Caps organization,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “This acquisition brings in a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL. With his size, exceptional skating, and high hockey IQ, we are confident he will thrive in our organization with increased responsibility and opportunity.”
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story.
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AP NHL:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Washington Capitals in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois on Wednesday, in a trade involving high-priced, underachieving players.
Kuemper, who has three seasons remaining on a five-year, $26.25 million contract he signed with Washington in 2022, ended up being the backup to Charlie Lindgren when the Capitals were swept in four games in the first round by the New York Rangers.
The 34-year-old Kuemper appeared in 33 games with 30 starts for Washington last season. He posted a 13-14-3 record with a 3.31 goals-against average and one shutout.
Kuemper has played for five teams during his 12-year NHL career, including a previous stint with the Kings. He signed with Los Angeles as a free agent in 2017 and went 10-1-3 with a 2.10 GAA in 19 games (15 starts) before being traded to Arizona near the trade deadline in 2018.
Kuemper was the second goaltender to be traded on Wednesday, following a deal involving the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames.
Los Angeles, which hasn’t won a playoff series since capturing its second Stanley Cup title in three years in 2014, was in the market for a goaltender. Before acquiring Kuemper, David Rittich was the Kings' only goaltender under contract for next season.
The Kings were unlikely to make a significant move for a netminder during the upcoming free agency period due to a lack of salary cap space.
Los Angeles didn’t have much cap room after acquiring Dubois from Winnipeg and signing him to an eight-year, $68 million contract last season. The center struggled and recorded career lows for a full season in goals (16) and points (40).
Dubois, who turns 26 on Monday, was relegated to the Kings’ fourth line in the playoffs, where they lost in five games in the first round to the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.
This will be Dubois’ fourth team in eight seasons. He had previously informed Winnipeg of his intention to become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired after the 2023-24 season.
The Jets had acquired Dubois after he expressed a desire to leave the Blue Jackets, who drafted him third overall in 2016.
The Capitals are hopeful that Dubois will return to his previous form. He had career highs with 63 points and 36 assists in the 2022-23 season and has scored at least 20 goals four times.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Pierre-Luc to the Caps organization,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “This acquisition brings in a talented 25-year-old with immense potential to become a top-tier center in the NHL. With his size, exceptional skating, and high hockey IQ, we are confident he will thrive in our organization with increased responsibility and opportunity.”
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this story.
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AP NHL:
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WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber, and Emma Raducanu have all been awarded wild cards for Wimbledon.
The grass-court tournament starts on July 1.
Osaka — a four-time major champion and former No. 1 player — and three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber returned from maternity leave at the start of this season.
Currently ranked 113th, Osaka was the only player to take a set from top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the French Open and followed that up with a quarterfinal spot last week in ’s-Hertogenbosch, a warm-up event for Wimbledon.
Former U.S. Open champion Raducanu made her breakthrough at Wimbledon by advancing to the fourth round in 2021. She will be playing there for the first time in two years after undergoing wrist and ankle surgery in 2023.
Kerber won the 2018 Wimbledon title and was runner-up at the All England Club in 2016. She is also a former top-ranked player.
Wozniacki returned from maternity leave last August. She has never gotten past the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she will be playing for the first time since 2019.
British players Francesca Jones, Heather Watson, and Yuriko Miyazaki were also included in the initial list of invitations. Seven British players have been invited to play in the men’s draw, including last year’s junior champion Henry Searle.
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AP tennis:
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