Kings’ Goaltending Pipeline Has Gone From Rags to Riches

Finding an elite goaltender who can play at the highest of levels and be relied upon to be that number one “guy” year after year doesn’t come easily. Having good goaltending has proven to be one of the most important aspects when it comes to contending, just ask the Edmonton Oilers. Some teams find a diamond in the rough, and some teams go years without being able to get hold of an elite netminder. For so many years, good goaltending was the one thing the Los Angeles Kings never had to worry about. In fact, calling the Kings’ goaltending situation “good” would be a major understatement. That was all thanks to Jonathan Quick, one of the greatest goaltenders to ever strap on the pads, the most winningest U.S.-born goaltender, and the one who led this franchise to eight playoff appearances and, of course, their first and only two Stanley Cups. 

The kind of impact Quick made in the crease for the Kings was a luxury, and not something that comes around often, and after being spoiled for roughly 13 seasons, a void started to form during his last couple of seasons as a King, which eventually became a massive one, once he was traded. 

In 2017, the Kings had signed Cal Petersen, who was fresh out of college, where he not only captained Notre Dame’s hockey team but also led them to a Frozen Four appearance. The idea there was that he could develop alongside Quick and ultimately succeed him as the starting goaltender. Petersen showed glimpses of promise but never ended up taking that next step, and eventually played himself out of Los Angeles.  

The Kings were left without the man they called their number one for so many seasons, and had no internal options or prospects to take on an NHL role. None of their draft picks hit, and they relied on mediocrity for the next few seasons, rotating between Petersen, Pheonix Copley, Joonas Korpisalo, and Cam Talbot. None of them were the answer, and the fall-off from Quick was even more noticeable in the postseason. 

This past season was the first in which the Kings really had a capable, reliable number one goaltender who proved impactful. Darcy Kuemper, in his second stint in LA, this time as the starter, gave the Kings something they had been missing for the past few seasons. Kuemper had a terrific season and was even named a Vezina Trophy finalist. Whether or not Kuemper will remain at that same level while he’s under contract for the next two seasons doesn’t really matter in terms of the future of this franchise’s goaltending, because he will be 37 by the time his contract is up. The good news for the Kings is that’s all they need him to do: be reliable for the next two seasons, and hopefully by that time, they have someone who is ready to jump up to the NHL.

Kings Have 3 Promising Prospects

A once shockingly scarce goaltending pipeline has quickly turned into the strongest component of the Kings’ prospect pool. Over the past few seasons, they have gone from having zero homegrown talent in between the pipes and no one that they have been able to develop that has been capable of being an NHL goaltender, to acquiring three young goaltenders either by draft or trade, who have looked very promising as they continue to develop. Erik Portillo, Hampton Slukynsky, and Carter George have taken the Kings’ goaltending pipeline from rags to riches. Whether they turn out to be hits or not, and are able to translate their skill to the NHL level, at least they have prospects that are heading in the right direction. And if they all end up panning out, it gives the Kings valuable trade chips down the road. 

In 2023, the Kings benefited from a situation where the Buffalo Sabres had too many promising goaltenders and essentially had no room for all of them. They acquired Portillo, who was drafted in 2019, for a third-round draft pick. He finished out his college career with the University of Michigan before embarking on his professional career with the Ontario Reign two seasons ago. Portillo is the closest of the three Kings prospects to reaching the NHL and has consistently put up elite numbers, no matter where he has played throughout his career. If it wasn’t for the injury he suffered this past season, there’s a pretty good chance that he would be the backup to Kuemper heading into this season. As long as Portillo gets back to 100%, there’s no reason to believe that he will have any trouble proving he’s ready to make the jump to the NHL, and he will have two seasons to do so, with Anton Forsberg’s contract expiring in 2027.

2023 was a very successful year for the Kings in terms of building up their goaltending prospect pool, not only acquiring Portillo but also drafting Slukynsky in the fourth round of the NHL Entry Draft. The Kings have had terrible success when it comes to drafting goaltenders, with the last one that they drafted who ended up playing a game for them being Jonathan Bernier, who was drafted in 2006. Slukynsky has played just one year in college and already looks to be someone who has a good chance at breaking this awful streak. The accolades he achieved in his freshman year with the University of Western Michigan Broncos are nothing short of remarkable. He played in 25 games and posted a .922 save percentage (SV%) and only a 1.90 goals-against average (GAA).

Not only did Slukynsky play a big role in the Broncos’ ability to win an NCHC Championship and an NCAA Championship, but he also made the NCAA (Championship) All-Tournament Team, NCAA (NCHC) All-Rookie Team, and the NCAA (NCHC) Second All-Star Team. The 20-year-old netminder also won a gold medal at the 2025 World Junior Championship with Team USA, where he played two games, and a World Championship gold medal. With Slukunsky having accomplished everything that he has in such little time and only supposed to continue to get better, the Kings could have a real gem on their hands.