Fresh off winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper has a new NHL home. Kuemper signed a five-year deal with the Washington Capitals on Wednesday worth $26.25 million after his strong season in Colorado earned him plenty of interest as a top goalie on the open market.
The 32-year-old veteran netminder from Saskatoon had a 2.54 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage this past regular season before posting a 2.57 GAA and .902 save percentage in the playoffs as he backstopped Colorado all the way to the Stanley Cup.
Prior to joining the Avalanche last summer, Kuemper spent four seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and five with the Minnesota Wild, separated by a short stint with the Los Angeles Kings.
Kuemper's new deal sees him earn a raise after earning $4.5 million in each of the last two seasons. He has a career goals-against average of 2.49 and save percentage of .917.
The Capitals will enter the 2022-23 season with a crease that looks drastically different than the one the they rolled out last season. Washington traded Vitek Vanecek to the New Jersey Devils last week and on Monday declined to extend a qualifying offer to would-be restricted free agent Ilya Samsonov, opening the door for the netminder -- once thought to be the franchise's No. 1 of the future -- to the open market. Samsonov signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Shortly after securing their new starting netminder in Kuemper, the Capitals also inked his backup in former Blue Charlie Lindgren.
