Darcy Kuemper’s Brutal Night Could Cost Him The Kings’ Starting Job

Darcy Kuemper allowed five goals on 34 shots as the Los Angeles Kings lost 6-3 to the Utah Mammoth in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. The performance raised questions about his bid to secure the starting goaltender role under new head coach Peter Laviolette.

Kuemper previously lost the starting position to Anton Forsberg late last season following multiple injuries, recording a 2.78 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage over 50 games. Laviolette, who previously coached Kuemper with the Washington Capitals in 2022-23, historically favors assigning the majority of starts to a designated primary goaltender.