Kuemper Came Close to Starting in Edmonton Net
It's no surprise the Edmonton Oilers were looking to get in on the goaltending market last offseason. Despite re-signing Mike Smith, the Oilers appear to have wanted to move on from Mikko Koskinen. They came close to landing their opposition in net in the Western Conference Finals, Darcy Kuemper, but the Colorado Avalanche made a better offer.
"I think they lost out on Kuemper because whichever prospect they offered, and I don't know who it was, Arizona liked Conor Timmins more than whoever Edmonton was willing to offer. And that is why Arizona went with that package," said Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Imagine if Kuemper was in net for the Oilers. Where would the Avs have turned? Nearly all the goalies on the free agent market signed before the trade. They likely would have been left with Adin Hill, who is a decent NHL goaltender, with a career 2.74 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. Kuemper's numbers are certainly better with a 2.48 GAA and a .918 save %.
You have to think they would have been a serious suitor for Marc-Andre Fleury at the trade deadline. Would they be in the WCF? Would Pavel Francouz have been the go-to goalie? It's certainly interesting to think about, but for now Kuemper will be focused on trying to slow down the red-hot duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (52 points in 12 games). Bet he wishes they were his teammates...
| POLL | ||
Would the Avs have reached the WCF without Kuemper? | ||
| Yes, they are a juggernaut | 37 | 42.5 % |
| No way | 50 | 57.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
