Things started great as they played the Winnipeg Jets. The game was a back-and-forth goal fest and even went to overtime and then a shootout. Everyone was riding high on a win, then, later that night, the trade was announced. Jonathan Quick was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the air went out of the balloon. This was a solid team goaltender. He just celebrated breaking Tom Barraso’s record for all-time wins by an American goaltender. After the trade announcement, the King’s fan base was in a frenzy; no one could believe this. He was a franchise player, the number one guy, and now traded away.
Columbus, of all places, I was thinking about how I would watch Blue Jackets games. Less than 48 hours later, he is now a Vegas Golden Knight. Bravo, this is a better fit for a guy with Quick’s numbers. He was traded from Columbus to Vegas for goalie Michael Hutchinson, and a 7th round pick in 2025. In the case of most trades, the player usually leaves from wherever they are and heads to the new city. This trade was unusual. Quick got to fly back to LA with the team. This made people talk more. In my mind, the Columbus trade was a bust, and he was still a King. That had happened before when a trade fell through. Now a new day unfolds, and here he is, a Vegas Golden Knight. With the dust settled, he arrived in Vegas, meeting new teammates and reconnecting with old ones. Alec Martinez was a King when they won the first Stanley Cup in 2012. Though the Kings fans have accepted the trade, it still feels like the Kings did him dirty. Being a lifelong King and retiring a King would have been pretty sweet.
Now the Kings face the Knights in Vegas on April 6th. That will be a great game, and Quick will want to prove himself to his now old team. That still hurts saying that, but as a fan, I need to get used to seeing him in another jersey that’s not black and white.
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