After allowing four goals on 16 shots last night in what ended up a 9-8 loss to the Seattle Kraken, Cal Petersen has been placed on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Los Angeles Kings netminder has been brutal this year, posting an .868 save percentage through his first ten appearances. He is in the first season of a three-year, $15MM contract extension signed in the fall of 2021.
The Petersen story is an interesting one. Selected 129th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, he would go back to the USHL for a year after his draft, before heading to Notre Dame. Starring for the Irish for three years, he decided to leave school early and pursue a professional career. Petersen would ultimately decide not to sign with the Sabres and became a free agent, able to choose his destination.
Los Angeles is where he landed, which at the time seemed a bit of an odd choice. The team already had Jonathan Quick installed as the full-time starter and Jack Campbell was starting to come into his own as the backup. It appeared as though Petersen would be blocked from the NHL net for a while.
Because of injuries and poor play, however, it wouldn’t be long before Petersen was making his debut. In his second pro season, he played 11 games for the Kings and posted a .924, showing that they could have found their future starter. A trade of Campbell the next season, and more struggles from Quick meant Petersen was getting a chance, and he ran with it, posting a .916 save percentage in 54 games over his first three years.
Heading into last season, he was expected to split the work with Quick and the team awarded him with a shiny new three-year extension, despite his previous deal still having a year left. The Kings probably should have waited, as Petersen’s play deteriorated, with him posting an .895 save percentage over 37 appearances. When Los Angeles reached the playoffs, there was no doubt who would be starting for them, and it wasn’t Petersen.
Now, with an even worse performance through the early part of the year and higher expectations for the Kings, the team can’t wait around any more. They’ve now offered him up to anyone who wants to take on the whole contract and could send him to the minor leagues to get back on track if he clears.
It seems unlikely that any team in the league would bite, especially due to the back-loaded nature of the deal. Petersen is owed a $4MM signing bonus next season and then has a $6MM salary in year three, meaning any claiming team would be taking on a lot of financial risk for a goaltender who has struggled.
I feel for the kid but he never showed he could be the long term answer. He was given every opportunity to take over the net from Quick but couldn’t remain at all consistent. I never really understood giving him the 3 year deal in the first place because of that inconsistency. And now here the Kings are, about to eat the entire contract. Sad day.
It’s 10 games. It’s not good, but it’s a long way from “about to eat the entire contract”. Goalies are fluky. He may very well go down to the AHL, find his game and be back to post a .910 for the rest of the season. He might be awful all year next year and the win the Vezina the following year. Who knows with goalies.
he was substandard last year too.
While I do agree that the goalie position is fickle. I was thinking more of the entire last year and a half. Which hasn’t been good at all. Let alone, worth 5 mil +.
I find it hard to feel bad for someone who’s will make over 15 million in their mid 20s
Yeah a little substandard. But this looks like a complete crisis of confidence.
Since he’s a positional goalie as opposed to instinctive like Quick, confidence is his key.
Hopefully he can recover. Well there some hope I guess
Now that I look at his stats from last year, you are right. It’s been a years and a half of not particularly good.
As @Gavin stated, he truly has been “brutal” this year. I would’ve thought that Billy Ranford would have been able to get him back on track.
That is an ugly contract for sure. This season is lost. Next season isn’t a given. Demko having the same problems. So is Bobrovsky. Wondering about trading one struggling goalie for another. Problem is Cal doesn’t have a long record.
“Petersen would ultimately decide not to sign with the Sabres and became a free agent, able to choose his destination.”
I hate that rule so much. Defeats the entire purpose of the draft. Were I Gary, I would close that loophole so fast, but…no one in the league seems to care.
Having said that…when does it actually work out for the player? Every thinks the player choosing their spot is for the best, but…
Vesey? Butcher? Petersen?
Justin Schultz was one of the first and he struggled for years. If Jimmy doesn’t trade for him in 2016 and Sully doesn’t coach him up, he would have been out of the league years ago.
I’m likely forgetting one or two who have worked out, but I can’t think of them right now.
While it didn’t play out exactly the same, leveraging the rule to get where he wanted to go worked out pretty well for Adam Fox, I’d say.
I was thinking of guys who signed but fair…Fox used his leverage and got what he wanted. NYR is happy with it.
In that case, the Flames and Canes recouped some assets, at least.
When they walk for nothing, it’s basically a draft pick that gets retroactively voided.
And the 4 year timeline that perfectly fits US college players doesn’t allow Canadian or US junior players the same option. Euros have their rights owned forever. Unfair all around.
It should be a 5 year window to retain US college rights. If they are so dead set on not signing, they can sit out a year to earn that right. Otherwise, do what every other young player does. Sign, earn a spot and then work towards free agency when every other player gets to utilize it.
@Gavin – Beat me to it! :) I’d add, to a much lesser degree, John Marino.
Hmm…noticing a pattern here…
Evidently when right handed defenseman drafted by Alberta teams use the threat of walking as UFA’s to get traded, it goes well.
But who is the best to just walk clean and sign? Still Justin Schultz from 2009 or 2010 or whenever?
Alexander Kerfoot is the next best one I can think of off the top of my head.
Everyone has been on the kerfoot hate train lately. Leafs missed a big chance to get something good for him this offseason
Blake Wheeler
Blake Wheeler is a good call.
That the two best examples of it working out are more than a decade old show that it’s completely unfair to the teams and other players while not being particularly beneficial to the players who take advantage of the loophole.
Kevin Hayes
If a player goes to college & is 21 or 22 at the end of his collegiate career he should have a right to pick his next destination. This isn’t the OHL, SHL or WHL where they are 18yo or 19yo.
Are teams on his no-trade-list able to claim him?
Yes, as waivers doesn’t apply to a m-ntc like he has
Neither Vesey or Butcher were drafted by the Sabres
Blake’s worst contract since Kovalchuk! I don’t know what the hurry was or why they thought he was worth $5 mil a year. Hopefully finds his game in Ontario, otherwise he will be bought out next year!
it’s the right move as Cal’s been trending down for two seasons now… shame we’ll prolly have to eat this contract as he’s shown NO signs of being an NHL caliber netminder (imo).
happy trails, Cal… sometimes things don’t work out. #GoKings
I could be off base but I think Peterson may be a better goalie with a larger workload. Quick being a 2 time cup champion still in the mix to no fault of his own may have Peterson questioning his place with the organization or a number of things even though he’s been offered the opportunity to take the starting role which Quick would not give up without a fight. Time will tell but hopefully this challenge has Peterson and the Kings come out better on the other side
He should get plenty of work in Ontario. Oh wait, he will be on a 3 goalie team!!! LOL
So who plays backup to Quick now? Not like Quick is tearing it up right now, it’s an important position.
If Copley doesn’t work out, trade Sean Walker for Nedeljkovic,
Quick has not been any better. Honestly, this is worst-case scenario for the Kings, and one a lot of people saw coming. There are no easy fixes, either, so not sure where they go from here.
I’ve watched pretty much every Kings game this year and it’s only a matter of time before Todd is gone. The team is scoring a lot of goals, and that’s great, but they’ve regressed in almost every other way on the ice, and it shows in the stats and the eye test. They have shown no ability to adjust in-game, struggle with game management, can’t kill a penalty to save their lives, can’t seem to play as a five man unit, take dumb penalties, make stupid turnovers. Anyone else who’s watched them consistently is able to attest to this. That stuff is on the coaching staff as much as the players, and you can’t fire the team.
As a season ticket holder I’ve seen almost all of the games, the issue is that all 6 defenceman are the same, small, fairly quick but not very fast,, offensive minded, and not physical. Teams are taking liberties because nobody is boxing out in front of the goalie.
I mean, I wouldn’t describe Roy or Edler that way, or even Doughty. Those three and Anderson have proved they are capable defenders but they’ve collectively played like S all season. Why would veteran, established (to varying degrees, obviously some are only a few years into their career) defensemen suddenly forget how to play? The coaching is failing somehow.
For a big guy Edler plays very small and not physical, none of the D plays big
Guess you missed the hit on McJesus?
I don’t necessarily disagree, but basically the same d-corps did just fine last year, whether they ‘played big’ or not.
And it’s not all on the defenseman, anyway. The team as a whole has failed to limit opportunities, to kill penalties, etc. When an entire team fails this miserably in so many different, foundational ways, it’s on the coaching staff over anything or anyone else.
Anyone can deliver ONE hit that shows up on a highlight reel. The most physical in a season Edler’s ever gotten was five years ago, and he didn’t crack the top 25 among defensemen. He’s fallen far off that peak the last couple years.
Still waiting for Kopi to deliver a highlight real hit… Unfortunately Edler is probably the most physical defenseman the Kings have besides Doughty. Is he in his prime…NO. But he was pretty damn good last year before the ankle injury averaging close to 40 points over a full season and wasn’t as good when he came early due to all the injuries. He started off slow this year and has gotten better and I will take him on a 3rd pairing!
Durzi has skill and has helped make a decent PP, but is horrible on the second pairing left side. That experiment has failed. He is a give away machine. Either the Kings move him back to the 3rd pair RH and limit his time or dress 7 defenseman so he gets his PP time.
Cal had some games. But he never looked comfortable to me. I don’t know if it is a mental thing or just a lack of skill. But he is a liability at this point.
GMKA (of the Sabres)….
I’ll take him off your hands for $1mil per retained & 2 future 1sts (non protected) in back to back drafts.