The Los Angeles Kings traded goaltender Jonathan Quick and first and third-round 2023 draft choices to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov late Tuesday night. Quick is amid the final year of a ten-year contract, but there was little indication of a looming move for the franchise icon.
Quick spent 16 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, winning a Conn Smythe Trophy, two William Jennings Trophies, and helped the franchise to two Stanley Cups.
The news broke after the Kings’ 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets and shook the locker room. Captain Anze Kopitar’s four-goal night took a back seat as he was visibly glum after a career game. According to Frank Seravalli, Quick was on the Kings’ flight back to Los Angeles, where a somber, emotional plane ride was full of goodbyes.
Quick moves from the West’s second-seed to a Blue Jackets team with the lowest point total in the NHL. According to sources, to say Quick was unhappy would be an “understatement.”
Moving Quick shed the salary needed to acquire Korpisaloa and Gavrikov, two potential rentals that will provide the Kings with a boost as they make a playoff push. In a tight Western Conference, the Kings have the eighth-best odds to reach the Stanley Cup on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
