Capitals have found their new number one goaltender
The Washington Capitals made one of the largest splashes of UFA day, announcing on Wednesday that they have found their #1 goaltender. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has reported that the Washington Capitals and Darcy Kuemper have reached an agreement on a five-year, $5.25 million AAV.
Kuemper signing with the Caps is no surprise as the two sides have been linked for some time. A move to sign a goaltender was a certainty after they let go of RFA Ilya Samsonov, who signed with the Maple Leafs on Wednesday and traded Vitek Vanecek this past weekend to New Jersey.
Kuemper is coming off a Stanley Cup victory, leading the Colorado Avalanche to hockey's most prestigious prize. In 57 games this year, Kuemper went 37-12-4 with five shutouts, a 2.54 GAA, and a .921 save percentage. While $5.25M per season may seem low for Kuemper, it is worth noting that he's 32 years old and likely took a little less to secure an extra year or two of term on his deal. Original projections on Kuemper were in excess of $6M per season on a shorter term deal, possibly 3 years.
This is the first time since the 2020 season that the Capitals have had a high end number one goalie between the pipes since Brayden Holtby. The signing shows that the Capitals are still serious about making a couple more serious runs for the Stanley Cup.
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