Burning Questions: What are expectations for Darcy Kuemper in Year 2 with Capitals?
Burning Questions: What are expectations for Darcy Kuemper in Year 2 with Capitals? originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Capitals’ training camp is quickly approaching, and the 2023-24 regular season won’t be far behind. To get you all caught up after a busy offseason, Monumental Sports Network’s Ethan Cadeaux and Matt Weyrich are examining the 10 biggest burning questions surrounding the team heading into the new campaign.
After going multiple years without a clear-cut starting goaltender, the Washington Capitals signed former Colorado netminder Darcy Kuemper to a five-year deal in the summer of 2022 with the hope he'd solidify the position.
Kuemper turned in several elite performances in his first year with the Capitals, especially in the first half of the season. From October through December, Kuemper had posted a .920 SV% and allowed just 2.35 goals per game.
Kuemper, like many of his teammates, was not as sharp in the second half of the season. The Capitals had a flurry of injuries and struggled to earn points, which ultimately led to a sell-off before the early March trade deadline. Kuemper's first season in D.C. concluded with a 22-26-7 record, 2.87 GAA and .908 SV%.
"We had a lot higher expectations for how our season was going to go," Kuemper said during locker room cleanout this past April.
With his first year in Washington under his belt, what are realistic expectations for Kuemper entering Year 2 with the Capitals? The reality is likely somewhere in between his stellar first half and average second half, but Washington fans should be optimistic for more of the former than the latter.
For starters, Kuemper did not receive much help from his defensemen last season. Washington's top blue-liner, John Carlson, missed over three months of the year. His top-pair partner, Martin Fehervary, missed 15 games, too. Both players are healthy now. Rasmus Sandin, who was acquired by Washington at the trade deadline, will now be with the club for his first full season.
It's also worth mentioning the Capitals acquired Joel Edmundson from Montreal on Day 1 of free agency, a veteran addition that should help the blue line significantly. Edmundson will likely be on Washington's top penalty kill unit, and his ability to sacrifice his body to block shots should only help Kuemper in those situations.
When the Capitals' blue liners were healthy last season, Kuemper was at his best. Even when Washington was down a couple of defensemen, Kuemper still turned in several high-level performances including a three-game stretch in March where he finished 41, 40 and 40 saves, respectively.
Kuemper had mixed emotions when discussing his play at the end of the season, but believes the Capitals can return to being contenders in 2023-24 and beyond. If the Capitals do return to being a playoff team, expect Kuemper to be a significant reason why.
