Kuemper signs five-year, $26.25 million contract with Capitals

The 32-year-old goalie was 37-12-4 with a 2.54 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and five shutouts in 57 regular-season games for the Colorado Avalanche last season, his first with the team after he was acquired in an off-season trade on July 28, 2021.

Kuemper was 10-4 with a 2.57 GAA and .902 save percentage in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Avalanche win the Cup.

“Darcy is an established starting netminder who proved that he can win on the game’s biggest stage, and we are excited to welcome him to Washington,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “We feel this signing will provide our team confidence and stability in net.”

Selected by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round (No. 160) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Kuemper is 143-95-36 with a 2.48 GAA, .918 save percentage and 25 shutouts in 299 regular-season games (282 starts) for the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and Wild. He is 17-10 with a 2.72 GAA and .908 save percentage in 34 playoff games (30 starts).

The Capitals wanted more experience in net after Ilya Samsonov, 25, and Vitek Vanecek, 26, were their primary goalies the past two seasons. Samsonov was 23-12-5 with a 3.02 GAA, .896 save percentage and three shutouts in 44 games (39 starts) last season. Vanecek was 20-12-6 with a 2.67 GAA, .908 save percentage and four shutouts in 42 games (39 starts) last season.

Each was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The Capitals traded Vanecek to the New Jersey Devils on Friday and decided to not to make Samsonov a qualifying offer before the deadline Monday, making him an unrestricted free agent; he signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

That left Zach Fucale as the Capitals lone goalie under contract that has played in the League. The 27-year-old played in his first four NHL games last season (three starts) and was 1-1-1 with a 1.75 GAA, .924 save percentage and one shutout.