Jonathan Quick never really did join the Columbus Blue Jackets. After this week’s trade, the veteran goaltender was immediately back on the market, following some reports that he was blindsided and upset about being traded from the Los Angeles Kings.
He didn’t make much sense for the Blue Jackets, given their current situation, so they have quickly found him a new home. Columbus has negotiated a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights to send Quick back to the Pacific Division. The Blue Jackets will receive Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick, while retaining 50% of Quick’s contract.
Given how little Columbus received in this deal, it seems like more of a favor than anything to a veteran goaltender who didn’t want to join a losing team for the last few months of the season.
A 2025 seventh-round pick is about the lowest-valued asset you can receive, and Hutchinson is on an expiring deal that will be of little use to the Blue Jackets.
What this trade does set up, however, is a potential matchup between Quick and the Kings in the playoffs. With question marks around the health of Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit, there is a real chance that Quick gets playing time in Vegas, and potentially some revenge on the team that he believed he would spend his entire career with.
The question now is whether Quick has any effective hockey left in him. The 37-year-old has been bad this season, posting an .876 save percentage in 31 appearances, and has an .896 over his past five seasons combined. Perhaps the Golden Knights can find a way to unlock prime Quick for a few months, but it seems unlikely at this point.
Why?
Lucky you, @Gavin, you always get the weird ones, eh? He’s traded. No, he’s not. He’s untraded. No, he’s re-traded. He’s going to hang out in Vegas, so he can get a sweet deal at DLC. :)
Well, that was Quick!
Boo hoo!! Shades of the Wilmer Flores trade.
Good for JQ. Most likely Columbus retains 50% and maybe gets a conditional 3rd rounder!
so CBJ traded Korpisalo for a 1st, 3rd, 7th and player? very impressive by CBJ and even more pathetic by LAK
The Jackets did have to retain $2.9 million in salary also though.
… yeah, but better than retaining ALL of his salary, which they’d have had to do if they didn’t deal him at all.
$2.9 cap hit, his actual Salary is $2.5 mil, so $1.25 mil retained and about 75% the Kings have already paid out.
It’s pathetic that You forgot the Kings also got Gavrikov and gained an extra $1.7 mil in cap space!
Not sure how this was pathetic by the Kings. They got a much needed LHD and addressed their goalie situation.
Oversight maybe, but pathetic may be a bit harsh.
Gavrikov and Korpisalo fixes the Kings two biggest issues and they didn’t trade a single prospect lmao. Great move by then. Just need to extend one of them to seal it
Why does the media/fans keep pushing this narrative about Quick thought he was going to be a King for life? He stated in training camp, he want to play next year & it was understood at the time that would not be happening in a Kings sweater. Good on Vegas picking up an experienced backup & CBJ for getting an asset.