Jonathan Quick ‘s tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets is over after just one day, as he has been traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick and Michael Hutchinson. With that, the Blue Jackets are retaining half of Quick’s salary.
When it was announced that the Los Angeles Kings shockingly traded Quick to Columbus, it seemed like that the Blue Jackets would move him by the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. Now, that has officially come to fruition, and Quick is joining one of the Kings’ biggest division rivals in the process.
Golden Knights Add to Goalie Depth With Quick
With Logan Thompson out week-to-week and Laurent Brossoit sidelined for the Golden Knights, Vegas was browsing the trade market for another goalie. Now, they have found a new netminder in Quick, and he will serve as another experienced option for them moving forward.
Quick has had a very rough season in 2022-23, as he sports an 11-13-4 record, 3.50 goals-against average (GAA), and .876 save percentage (SV%) in 31 games played. Yet, he will now aim to get things back on track with the Golden Knights. It certainly seems possible that Quick can bounce back when noting that he had a 23-13-9 record and a .910 SV% for the Kings just last season.
For the time being, Quick will be sharing goaltending duties with Adin Hill for Vegas. Although Quick’s days of being an elite goaltender are over, he still has the potential to be a solid addition to the Golden Knights as they deal with injuries. With that, he will provide the Golden Knights with more leadership and experience, as the 16-year veteran has two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy on his resume. Therefore, he is exactly the kind of player that the Golden Knights should have around as they aim to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Blue Jackets Land Draft Pick & Goalie Depth; Do Quick a Favor
The Blue Jackets acquired Quick from the Kings to allow them to afford Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo. With Columbus having the fewest points in the NHL, it makes sense that they are giving Quick the chance to play for a contender again.
Although receiving a seventh-round pick and American Hockey League (AHL) goalie is not too impactful, they have still added to their draft capital by trading a veteran who was never a true part of their plan. With the Blue Jackets being in a retooling period, they should be aiming to acquire as many draft picks as possible. Hutchinson also provides them with another depth goaltender for the rest of the season. In seven appearances this campaign for the Henderson Silver Knights, Hutchinson has a 1-5-1 record and .897 SV%.
Overall, the Golden Knights needed to add a goaltender of some kind to their group before the deadline passed. Therefore, getting Quick from the Blue Jackets is a move that makes sense for them. However, it has the potential to become better if the veteran netminder can find his old form. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have given the veteran goaltender one last shot at a Stanley Cup, so they deserve some praise for getting this trade done for him. It will be interesting to see Quick’s response to the trade and if he ends up getting revenge on the Kings during the postseason.
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