LA Kings Training Camp Preview: Darcy Kuemper

With training camp just around the corner, we are previewing each player on the LA Kings roster. Up next: Darcy Kuemper!

Darcy Kuemper

Birthdate: May 5, 1990

Birthplace: Saskatchewan, Canada

Height: 6’5

Weight: 220 lbs

Position: Goalie

Catches: Left

Draft: 6th round, 161st overall, 2009 NHL Draft

2025-26 season

Darcy Kuemper finished his second season in his second stint with the Kings and amassed a 19-14-15 record along with a 2.78 GAA, .891 SV%, and three shutouts in 50 games. His season was a far cry from his Vezina finalist campaign the previous season.

Kuemper dealt with another minor injury in November when he took a bump from Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen in the blue paint. I’ve seen some Kings fans point to that as the turning point when Kuemper’s play slipped, and when you look at the basic numbers on a game-to-game basis before that incident, his November games were good.

His 5v5 save percentage went from .934 to .911, according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s fine and expected, but his GSAA (Goals Saved Above Average) plummeted from 10.48 to -6.26, and his high-danger save percentage went from .865 to .846.

The Kings’ penalty kill was abysmal this season, and his numbers took a nose dive because of it. In 2024-25, according to Natural Stat Trick, Kuemper posted an .891 SV%, a 7.33 GSAA, .868 high-danger save percentage, and a 4.80 high-danger save goals above average on the penalty kill. For the 2025-26 campaign, those numbers were an .815 sv%, -0.64 GSAA, .761 high-danger save percentage, and a -0.84 high-danger goals save above average.

I didn’t expect Kuemper to have another season like 2024-25, and 2025-26 was a forgettable one as he lost the starting job down the stretch to backup Anton Forsberg.

2026-27 outlook

It’s fair to have concerns about Kuemper bouncing back (again) at age 36. The expectations wouldn’t be right, and expecting lightning in a bottle for the second time in three seasons with the injury history Kuemper has is a big risk.

I’m not sure what role Kuemper will play on this year’s Kings. The Kings quietly have a logjam and need to have a plan for what the future holds for Erik Portillo, and whether the plan is for their top two goalie prospects, Hampton Slukynsky and Carter George, to share the net in the AHL.

Could we see Kuemper be part of a trade before or during the season? Or do the Kings go with the idea of never having too many goalies?