Darcy Kuemper has helped revive career with Kings

If the Los Angeles Kings were to hand out an MVP award, it may come between the pipes.

Through 47 appearances this season, 34-year-old starter Darcy Kuemper has put together a dazzling 28-11-7 record coupled with a .922 save percentage, 2.01 goals-against average, and five shutouts, a performance that has helped the Kings lock in their position in the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs while also reviving his career along the way.

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton chatted about Kuemper’s play with the Kings this season and what has led to his success in Los Angeles.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Let’s give some goalies some love. Kuemper, he’s 34 years old. He had a really bad year in Washington last year. They moved him in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade. All of a sudden, he’s bounced back and found the fountain of youth with the Kings. What’s impressed you the most about his bounceback?

Carter Hutton: His poise. There’s a lot that goes on with a goalie, especially when you get older and you have a family and kids and you have to move across the country. He had a stint with Los Angeles before where he did well, so there is familiarity there. That being said, he was kind of written off last year. It got the point where he was a liability. Charlie Lindgren did such a great job. I was going to have Logan Thompson [on this list], but he’s already gotten his flowers and gotten his contract. For Kuemper, he’s at a point in his career where if he has another bad year, this could be the end of it where you’re on the outside looking in. To have a .922 save percentage and a 28-11 record, and the record that he has at home, he has been a staple for this Kings team. I think it’s important to say that he has been one of the biggest difference makers for this team. He doesn’t wow you by any means, but to have the mental capacity to play in big moments and be there still, it has been very impressive for me to watch Kuemper this year.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here: