Picture this: Goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was a central figure in the Kings’ 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup championships, could stand in the way of a third title this season.
In a surprise move designed to upgrade several key areas, the Kings traded Quick to Columbus on Wednesday with a conditional first-round draft pick and a third-round pick for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
But his tenure there was short, as Columbus threw him to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, the team the Kings are battling for first place in the Pacific division and for a first-place finish in the playoffs.
The Blue Jackets kept 50% of Quick’s cap hit to make the deal work for the Golden Knights. Because he acted as a go-between in the deal, Columbus received goaltender Michael Hutchinson and a seventh-round draft pick from Vegas.
The Kings have one game left this season against the Golden Knights, on April 6 in Vegas.
Quick will see several familiar faces in Vegas, including former Kings teammates Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb and Michael Amadio.