Darcy Kuemper signed a five-year contract with the Washington Capitals as an unrestricted unfastened agent in July to grow to be the team’s primary goaltender. In a marketplace starved for high quality goaltending, Kuemper most likely had a checklist of suitors able to pay for his services and products.
So, why was once Washington his first selection? The 32-year-old netminder printed why at the first day of Training Camp.
“For me, it was after winning it last year, you want to do it again,” Kumeper stated. “This is a group that’s won recently and still has that veteran group that knows how to win. That was the exciting draw for me. Coming to a place that I believe that I can come in and help a team that has already won it before, do it again.”
The Capitals are Kuemper’s 5th NHL team and his 3rd in simply 3 seasons. Normally a goaltender that strikes round that incessantly is doing one thing flawed, however that’s the complete opposite case in this situation.
In 57 begins ultimate season for the Western Conference-best Avalanche, he went 37-12-4 with a .921 save proportion, 2.54 goals-against reasonable, and 5 shutouts. When the calendar flipped to 2022, the Saskatoon local performed one of the crucial very best hockey of his profession, rating 2d handiest to Igor Shesterkin in save proportion and fourth in high-danger save proportion handiest to Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, and Jake Oettinger.
“The biggest challenge (when moving teams) is although most systems are similar, there’s little variations here and there,” Kuemper stated. “Usually, that comes beautiful fast, you learn how to learn off your new teammates beautiful early. It simply takes a sport or two. Once you get to grasp their dispositions our reads as a goalie begin to get a little bit more uncomplicated and then it will get beautiful relaxed in internet.
“We’ve actually already started watching some video on it (new system),” Kuemper persisted. “You get into practices and start with that and then you get a couple preseason games which helps as well. Get as close to 100 percent as you can for the start of the regular season.”
Kuemper isn’t the one new goaltender in the city because the team selected to redesign each participants in their tandem for the 2022-23 marketing campaign. Charlie Lindgren, ultimate of the St. Blues, was once signed to a three-year deal price $1.1 million in line with season to fill the backup position.
“Even before we met each other in person we were texting back and forth,” Kuemper stated of his batterymate. “It’s been fun so far. He’s a great partner to have. We’re definitely looking forward to working together. What’s important for goalie partners is just kinda being that supportive force for each other because we’re the only two goalies on the team. No one fully knows what we go through or how to play the position. Having a good relationship with that guy, in this case Charlie, is going to be really important going forward and it’s been a great start so far.”
One of a very powerful relationships on a complete hockey team is the dynamic between goaltender and goaltending trainer. The Capitals know that firsthand with the luck Braden Holtby had underneath Mitch Korn. Kuemper will now glance to construct a identical rapport with Scott Murray.
“We did a few Zoom calls sporadically throughout the summer,” Kuemper stated. “Just attempted to start out that courting a little bit early, get a headstart on it. So some distance running in combination has been nice. We’re surely at the similar web page about how we need to play and what makes us a success. Really taking a look ahead to rising that courting.
As a new member of the Capitals in internet, Kuemper will now not have to fret about Alex Ovechkin’s one-timer all through video games. He could be very a lot mindful that way he’ll simply see much more of it in a other surroundings regardless that.
“I’ll have to face it every day in practice but that’s a little bit easier than doing it in a game,” Kuemper stated. “If it goes in it doesn’t matter as much. It’ll be fun having a guy like him shoot on me every day. It’ll help my game and help me get better each and every day.”
Screenshot by way of Capitals