Grading the Gavrikov/Korpisalo trade: Kings choose head over heart

Mike McKenna
Mike McKenna(MikeMcKenna56)
Grading the Gavrikov/Korpisalo trade: Kings choose head over heart
Credit: © Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

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The big news out of Los Angeles Wednesday is that the Kings said goodbye to a franchise icon, goaltender Jonathan Quick. The two-time Stanley Cup winner, and 2012 recipient of the Conn Smythe trophy as postseason MVP, was unceremoniously dumped in a salary cap-clearing move by the only NHL franchise he’s ever known.

But looking beyond sentiment, the real story is that the Kings were able to address two concerns with one trade. Goaltending was a sore spot in L.A.. And the team was in need of a left-shot defenseman able to play shutdown minutes.

Enter goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov, formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Each of whom fills a specific void in the Kings lineup.

Time to hand out some trade grades.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

Receive:

D Vladislav Gavrikov, 27 – $2.8M cap hit, 2023 UFA

G Joonas Korpisalo, 28 – $1.3M cap hit, 2023 UFA

Take off the rose colored glasses: Jonathan Quick hasn’t had a strong NHL season in five years. The last time he was dominant was during the 2017-18 season, when Quick posted a .921 save percentage in 64 games.

Even last year, when Quick started off the 2021-22 campaign on fire, he fell off mightily during the second half of the season. And this year has been nothing short of a disaster, with Quick owning an .876 save percentage in 31 games. He’s only won 11 times. Compare that to journeyman Kings goalie Pheonix Copley, who with just an .899 save percentage has a record of 18-4-2.

With netminder Cal Petersen buried in the AHL after underperforming at the start of the season with Los Angeles, the Kings had to upgrade their goaltending to have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

Korpisalo has been terrific this year with Columbus after having off-season hip surgery. He has a .913 save percentage in 28 games and a record of 11-11-3. Those numbers are in stark contrast to the .879 save percentage and 7-15-2 record of his former CBJ goalie partner, Elvis Merzlikins.

Needless to say, Korpisalo was outplaying the Blue Jackets defense in front of him. And the biggest thing is that he’s healthy. Korpisalo’s down seasons in Columbus happened while battling through injuries, and his numbers took a significant hit.

For Los Angeles, Korpisalo’s past struggles are actually a good thing: the Finnish netminder comes with a miniscule $1.3 million cap hit, a product of him signing at a discount after a poor 2021-22 season. Korpisalo instantly becomes the Kings No.1 goaltender.

Are there concerns? Sure. Korpisalo can chase the game at times. But as it stands today, he is an upgrade from Petersen, Quick, and Copley. And no one can forget Korpisalo’s work during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs when he almost single-handedly knocked off the Toronto Maple Leafs during the play-in round. He has postseason experience and a steely demeanor.

With Gavrikov, the Kings land a left-shot defenseman to round out their blueline. Los Angeles is one of the few NHL franchises overflowing with right-handed talent on the back end. 

Gavrikov will help balance things out while providing steady minutes. He led Columbus in ice time and has a willingness to block shots. Gavrikov is a quality penalty killer and an above average skater. He should slide easily into the second or third pairing for Los Angeles.

For as much attention as Gavrikov has received this year leading up to the NHL trade deadline, I actually think Korpisalo is the biggest return in this trade for the Kings. In my eyes, he has the potential to make a much bigger difference than Gavrikov.

For that reason, I look at the return going to Columbus – a conditional first and third-round draft pick, along with Quick – as a win for the Kings. Los Angeles has plenty of young talent already in the pro ranks, and more on the way. 

Giving up this year’s first-round draft choice was easy to swallow. And it’s a conditional pick. If the Kings qualify for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Blue Jackets will acquire the club’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. If the Kings do not qualify for postseason play, the Blue Jackets will acquire Los Angeles’ second round picks in the 2023 and 2024 NHL Drafts.

The Kings had all their 2024 draft picks. Losing a third-rounder was fine, especially considering the team has two thirds in the 2023 Draft.

Gavrikov was likely destined to garner a first-round pick. But I think Korpisalo is worth more than a third-round choice. Thankfully for the Kings, NHL GM’s still see goaltenders as question marks, more so than a defenseman like Gavrikov. That uncertainty tends to reduce trade value for netminders.

The hard part for Los Angeles had to be letting go of Quick. He’s a Kings icon and the most accomplished American-born goaltender in hockey history. His number will be retired in L.A. and he’s a surefire candidate for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

From a business standpoint, this trade is an A for the Kings. But from an emotional standpoint, it’s an F. The locker room should be able to recover. But moving on from Quick may not be as easy as it seems.

This trade makes the Kings better. And the franchise didn’t have to give up any prospects. But I do worry about the potential for lingering resentment among the players in relation to the handling of Quick.

Grade: A-

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Receive:

G Jonathan Quick, 37 – $5.8M cap hit, 2023 UFA

2023 conditional first-round pick

2024 third-round pick

Acquiring Quick was an easy way to facilitate the deal; Los Angeles had to move money out in order to fit Gavrikov and Korpisalo under the NHL’s $82.5 million salary cap. Columbus has oodles of cap space, so taking on Quick’s contract for the remainder of the 2022-23 season is simply the cost of doing business.

The Blue Jackets have Merzlikins and 23-year old goaltender Daniil Tarasov on one-way contracts next year. And with Korpisalo set to become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, Columbus GM Jarmo Kekäläinen needed to get a return.

Like I said earlier, I think Korpisalo should have been worth more than a third-round pick. But this year’s goalie market is pretty soft. Even if Korpisalo was arguably the best UFA goalie available, there simply may not have been many bidders. And if that was the case, good on Kekäläinen for getting what he could.

But trading Gavrikov, another pending UFA, was a foregone conclusion months ago. So much so that the Blue Jackets kept him out of the lineup for over two weeks due to “trade-related reasons.”

I think the return for Gavrikov is underwhelming considering recent comparables. Defensemen David Savard and Ben Chiarot both garnered a first-round pick in addition to a later round selection when they were traded in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

With Gavrikov having sat out of the Columbus lineup for so long without being traded, I have to wonder if the Blue Jackets overplayed their hand. Gavrikov should have been worth multiple assets.

Columbus now has two first-round picks in the 2023 Draft, provided that the Kings make the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Blue Jackets also have two picks in the third and fourth rounds. That’s a tangible stockpile for a team looking to improve quickly. And I can’t help but wonder if Columbus goes shopping before the NHL’s March 3 Trade Deadline.

Regardless, I think the Blue Jackets misplayed their hand on Gavrikov. Columbus got valuable assets in the trade, but not enough.


Grade: C

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